Dublin Kickstart - Campus Engage Participate Programme

Participate in a one day capacity building programme delivered by a national panel of experienced practitioners and scholars in community-based research and learning. The Programme offers staff and community-based organisations a selection of capacity building workshops that will give attendees the tools to incorporate community-based research and learning into their curriculum and work plans. The first of five national kickstart session, specifically offered to HEI staff, will take place in Cork, with further workshops taking place in the midlands, north west, and Dublin in early 2015. The workshop programme is delivered by a national panel of experienced practitioners and scholars in community-based research and community-based learning.

In Community-based learning students gain academic credit for the learning that derives from participating in and reflecting on an experience within community and society.

Community-based research describes a set of diverse approaches to research that are community centred and where the effects of research are concerned with improving, understanding further, or investigating further the issue of public concern.

Walk away with a plan to implement community-based research or community-based learning into your curriculum.

Gain access to mutually negotiated peer support (online and in person) to help you in achieving your goals.

Making the transition to third level – different voices and different experiences

The aim of the workshop is to reflect on some of the themes and key findings from the National Seminar Series 2014 (e.g. the changing context of Higher Education; increased student diversity and different approaches to helping students to successfully manage the transition into the third level environment).

A key finding from the seminar series (http://teachingandlearning.ie/seminar-series) was that the issue of transition was a key concern across a diversity of universities, Institutes of Technology and private colleges. A range of discussions within the Seminar Series 2014 dealt with the topic of transitioning, progression and retention from the perspective of college based programmes aimed at first year undergraduates. For example “Let’s not reinvent the Wheel – lessons Learned from the Student and Transition (STAR) programme” (a collaborative programme between the University of Ulster and partners from HEI’s in the UK). The seminar “Learn to Succeed – Reflection on First Year Study Skills” (from University College Cork) described a (Language) Department based initiative which involved postgraduates teaching study skills to first year undergraduates). One of the seminars “Collective Wisdom: Transition Initiatives at ITT, CIT and UCC” involved input from students, academics and others to explore and critique different initiatives and approaches taken by colleges to help students to manage the transition process.

The proposed workshop aims to incorporate these approaches by describing and discussing college based initiatives and services concerned with helping students to adjust to college from Trinity College Dublin, Maynooth University and Athlone Institute of Technology. There will also be contributions from individual students on their own personal experiences and a presentation (From Trinity College Dublin) based on interim findings from a research project exploring the academic expectations of a particular cohort of students (e.g. international students). An underlying aim of the workshop is to approach the topic of student transition into third level from “an awareness of the multiplicity of student experiences” rather than just looking at deficits and how to overcome them (Crehan, 2013).

The format of the workshop is to invite a series of speakers (as outlined in this proposal) to briefly discuss particular initiatives or experiences concerned with different aspects of the process of successfully managing the transition into third level education. The afternoon session will involve discussion groups, speakers and audience members concerned with identifying main themes and learning points from the presentations given in the morning with suggestions for next steps and further action. There will be a plenary session briefly outlining key findings, and recommendations both from the point of view of the student and wider level college initiatives. The aim of the workshop is to stimulate lively discussion on the theme of transitioning into college with a focus on the student voice and experience as central to this theme.

University of Dublin, Trinity College

20 February, 2015

Superintelligence: Hacking Human Genius

Our understanding of superior mental performance has been transformed by cognitive science.

In this talk, Dr David Delany will both show us how these insights can be practically applied to enhance our own mental abilities and present provocative evidence that converging scientific and technological trends have driven humanity to the brink of a paradigm shift in how we learn, problem-solve, and innovate.

Welcome to the cognitive revolution.

Dr. Delany holds a PhD in computational neuroscience and has a research focus on the design of novel clinical brain training interventions for psychiatric disorders and cognitive enhancement. He lectures on cognitive science and statistics in Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland.

National University of Ireland, Galway

26 January, 2015

Galway Kickstart - Campus Engage Participate Programme

In Community-based learning students gain academic credit for the learning that derives from participating in and reflecting on an experience within community and society.

Community-based research describes a set of diverse approaches to research that are community centred and where the effects of research are concerned with improving, understanding further, or investigating further the issue of public concern.

Walk away with a plan to implement community-based research or community-based learning into your curriculum.

Gain access to mutually negotiated peer support (online and in person) to help you in achieving your goals.

Cork Kickstart: Campus Engage Participate Programme

Participate in a one day capacity building programme delivered by a national panel of experienced practitioners and scholars in community-based research and learning. The Programme offers staff and community-based organisations a selection of capacity building workshops that will give attendees the tools to incorporate community-based research and learning into their curriculum and work plans. The first of five national kickstart session, specifically offered to HEI staff, will take place in Cork, with further workshops taking place in the midlands, north west, and Dublin in early 2015. The workshop programme is delivered by a national panel of experienced practitioners and scholars in community-based research and community-based learning.

In Community-based learning students gain academic credit for the learning that derives from participating in and reflecting on an experience within community and society.

Community-based research describes a set of diverse approaches to research that are community centred and where the effects of research are concerned with improving, understanding further or investigating further the issue of concern.

By attending this workshop it is envisaged that Higher Education staff will walk away with a plan to implement community-based research or community-based learning into their modules, programmes or research activities. Participants will also gain access to mutually negotiated peer support (online and in person) to help them achieve their community engagement goals.

For more information on the participate programme go to www.campusengage.ie or email info@campusengage.ie

Focussing on both staff and PhD students, this session will identify strategies for effective doctoral writing and potential approaches for supporting students and staff in their writing.

Please confirm your interest in attending this session by emailing m.clohessy@ucc.ie before close on Thursday 11th of December. The workshop is free to attend, but places are limited.

FACILITATOR: Professor Martha Townsend, University of MisouriProfessor Townsend teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in rhetoric and composition at the University of Missouri. She is a fellow of the Bryn Mawr Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration, former literacy consultant to The Ford Foundation, and former director MUs Campus Writing Program (1991-2006). Author of numerous book chapters and journal articles on writing across the curriculum, she is the recipient of a Gold Chalk award for training and mentoring graduate students. Her work with academic writing has taken her to universities in Romania, Korea, Thailand, South Africa, China, and Costa Rica, and she has consulted on writing and general education for over eighty colleges and universities in the US and abroad.

We acknowledge support from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, through the Irish Network for the Enhancement of Writing (INEW), for this event.

Winter writing series with Martha Townsend

Dublin Institute of Technology - 15th Dec - 9.30 a.m. - 12.30 p.m. Enquiry through reading and writing – highlighting transition through the development of HE reading and writing strategies.

Digital Day @UCC

Come along to Digital Day 2014 to hear about the opportunities for Technology Enhanced Learning from your peers.

Explore the tools and approaches for using technology to enhance existing courses, improve student engagement, facilitate delivery to a wider audience and streamline the assessment and feedback process.

Connect with other staff members involved in TEL and with support staff who are ready to answer any questions you have about Blackboard, Panopto or other learning technologies.

Input to the development of future plans for TEL at UCC.

Please note that this event is only open to UCC staff. You can follow updates from the day at #UCCTEL

Athlone Institute of Technology

5 December, 2014

International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy

The International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy (ICEP) is an annual event that brings together researchers and practitioners in the field of third-level teaching in order to discuss means and methods of improving student engagement. The conference format includes standard paper and poster presentations intermingled with workshops and panel style discussions.

2014 is the seventh year of the ICEP conference series, its aim to further discussion and collaboration amongst researchers and practitioners in third level teaching and learning. In particular, the founders noticed that students appeared to be less engaged with material with each passing year. The conference is themed around one central principle – how can we as educators make education more engaging for our students?

The first ICEP conference was in 2008 and has since taken place in the National University of Ireland – Maynooth, University College Dublin, Griffith College Dublin, the National College of Ireland, the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, and the Institute of Technology, Sligo. The 2014 Conference is being hosted by the Athlone Institute of Technology.

External

22 October, 2014

ISSOTL 2014: Nurturing passion and creativity in Teaching and Learning

In higher education as well as in most other educational contexts, creativity and passion are undoubtedly at the core of all successful initiatives in teaching and learning. From a fundamental standpoint, many scholarly inquiries have been conducted around these aspects over the last 40 years. They have informed us in various ways, mostly general and related to characteristics of individuals who display such capacities. However, research has recently moved from general to subject or domain specific inquiries and now focuses more on situated perspectives on creativity and passion. These dimensions are now being explored from the point of view of various disciplines and in the context of emerging educational technologies, educational development and pedagogical initiatives. The 2014 ISSOTL conference challenges presenters and practitioners to expose their inquiries, perspectives and research outcomes on issues related to the nurturing of creativity and passion in higher education.

7th Annual HEIR Conference: From Research to Action

The Annual HEIR conference will be held this year at Oxford Brookes University on the 8th and 9th of September. The main theme of this year’s conference is the complex issue of turning our research data into actions that improve institutional performance. HEIR invites contributors to submit abstracts according to the following thematic areas:

· learning analytics and using research to improve student learning · Evidence based decision-making: tools and methods · Gathering data to demonstrate impact · Enhancing the student experience · Moving from research to policy, practice and quality enhancement. Paper, workshop and poster presentations are welcomed.

Abstracts should be no more than 200 words in length. If you wish to submit an abstract please complete a submission form be clicking here

The closing date for submitting abstracts is: April 28th 2014

The early-bird conference rate (booked before June 1st) which includes en-suit bed and breakfast on the night of the 8th and conference Dinner is £295, thereafter £335. The day rate is £95/day. Booking form to follow. Questions and enquires can be directed to Ian Scott (i.scott@brookes.ac.uk).

Mary Immaculate College, Limerick

2 September, 2014

Research Showcase: Roles and Responsibilities of Supervisors

The 2014 Research Showcase at MIC will be dedicated to exploring the key relationships between postgraduate students and supervisors in the context of conducting a substantial and original research project leading to the award of a research degree. It will place a particular focus on the roles and responsibilities that underpin supervisory processes and practices in postgraduate research at MIC.

FORUM THEME In the context of changes such as budget restrictions, growing demands of stakeholders such as employers and students and the changing nature of its key functions of research and teaching, we see an increasing professionalization of administration and management of higher education institutions. At the same time, diversity and excellence are the very core of all higher education processes, but how are we to balance these new demands with the existing ones and further economic restrictions?

In these demanding times EAIR is the network organization of higher education professionals, itself striving for diversity and excellence. Building on the success of the previous conferences in Warsaw, Stavanger and Rotterdam, the programme for the 36th Forum in Essen will be attractive to (institutional) researchers, managers, administrators and policy makers. In addition, we want to increase the attractiveness significantly especially for international delegates as well as young(er) researchers and the «new professionals» in higher education. Therefore, the Programme Committee has acted upon participants’ feedback in establishing an “open track” for new and innovative topics, looking for diversity as well as excellence in our field.

FORUM TRACKS The Forum will therefore be of interest to institutional researchers, academics, policy makers, administrators and educators. Proposals for presentations and posters should be designed to contribute to one of the eight broad tracks outlined below:

5th Biennial Threshold Concepts Conference

The ‘threshold concepts’ or ‘conceptual thresholds’ approach to student learning and curriculum design now draws from an empirical research base comprising hundreds of academic papers from over 120 disciplinary and professional contexts, and from authors in the higher education sectors of many countries (Flanagan 2013). This approach has advocated the idea that certain concepts, practices or forms of learning experience can act in the manner of a portal, or learning threshold, through which a new perspective opens up for the learner. The latter enters new conceptual terrain, which permits new and previously inaccessible ways of thinking and practising.

These conceptual gateways are often the points at which students experience difficulty and are often troublesome as they require a letting go of customary ways of seeing. They provoke a state of ‘liminality’ – a space of transformation and transition from an earlier understanding or practice to that which is required. The latter tends to be uncomfortable. As Dewey observed eighty years ago, ‘The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alteration of old beliefs.’ (Dewey 1933)

The approach continues to provoke debate in terms of its ‘truth’, its scientific validity, its usefulness and its practical applications. This 5th International Conference on thresholds theory seeks to further this debate, share experience of thresholds in practice and invite new and alternative perspectives.

External

2 July, 2014

HEA 2014: Preparing for learning futures: the next ten years

This year, to mark the tenth anniversary of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), the theme of the Annual Conference is ‘Preparing for learning futures: the next ten years’.

Change is fundamental to how we make sense of, work in and research, higher education (HE). HE is both conceived of as a catalyst for change (at a personal, societal and international level) and responds to ever-changing contexts cultural, technological, economic and political.

The conference will focus on the future of the student learning experience and explore how we are preparing for it; it will look at how current policy and practice is (or is not) equipping us for the opportunities that lie ahead and what may need to be done to both adapt to and create new learning environments.

The conference will also ask what the next ten years hold, what will change, what needs to change, and how can we prepare for that change.

Join us to debate best practice and future plans for campus community initiatives.

The symposium programme, through world café roundtables and workshops, will facilitate campus community conversations on: - applied practice in community-based research, teaching and learning - benefits of volunteering to students and communities - socio-economic impact of community-campus partnerships - the relationship between higher education, the state and civil society.

REGISTRATION Deadline for Registration is June 11th. For more information email info@campusengage.ie

DRAFT PROGRAMME

09.00-09.30

Registration

09.30-09.40

Opening Welcome

09.40-10.00

Introduction to Campus Engage

10.00-11.15

"Societal Expectations of Higher Education Institutions: The Strategic Role of Community Engagement"Professor Barbara Holland, Portland State University

11.15-11.45

Coffee/Tea

11.45-13.00

World café Roundtables – Conversations for Change

13.15-14.00

Lunch

14.00-15.00

Breakout Workshops Workshop 1: Civic Engagement Metrics and Evaluation: Indicators of Engagement Workshop 2: Community Based Learning – Reflections on Practice Workshop 3: Community-based Research in Action Workshop 4: The National HE Student Volunteering and Student Led Engagement Strategy Workshop 5: Practical strategies for using and developing policy to embed civic engagement in Higher Education

15.15-16.15

"Soft citizenship: the university and civic engagement"Sir David Watson, University of Oxford

16.15-16.30

Closing Comments

National University of Ireland, Galway

6 June, 2014

12th Galway Symposium on Higher Education

Discover, Explore, Create

Fieldwork, laboratories, practical classes, skills, projects, investigations, placements and experiential learning - all topics covered in the 2014 Galway Symposium on Higher Education, in which we celebrate the diversity of approaches to teaching and learning that are the hallmark of a vibrant university community.

We are particularly fortunate in Galway in having a fabulous local environment to serve as a living laboratory, a landscape ripe for exploration and discovery: the Burren, the hills of Connemara, and our rich and extensive coastline, surrounded by the deep Atlantic ocean and capped by clear air and dark skies.

Join us and celebrate learning in the lab and in the environment; learning in Galway and around the world; learning by experiencing, by interacting and by making and creating.

Cork Institute of Technology

6 June, 2014

Irish Symposium on Game Based Learning 2014

The Irish Symposium on Game Based Learning, now in its fourth year, provides a forum for teachers, lecturers, students and researchers to disseminate research, exchange ideas and best practice on the use of games and gamification (the use of game elements) for enhancing teaching and learning. The purpose of this symposium is to:

report on the use of GBL in primary, secondary and third-level educationSegan-sponsor

define the roadmap for GBL

assess the effectiveness of GBL to motivate and learn

identify how GBL can be included and facilitated in instructional settings.

Innovative Business Education Design for 21st Century Learning: EDiNEB Conference

The 21st International EDiNEB (Educational Innovation in Economics and Business) will be held in the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick from the 4th to the 6th of June, 2014. The 2014 EDiNEB conference will host four chaired tracks, which will touch on innovations in designing professional business education content; technology-driven and other innovative developments in business and economics education and practice; the design of student space and experience to enhance social interaction and learning and an open tract to address other innovative practices in the business school environment. The full call for abstracts and further information on the conference can be found at http://edineb.org/. Further information can be obtained from the conference co-chairs, Patrick Buckley and Elaine Doyle.

External

31 May, 2014

HETL 2014: Innovative Learning-Scapes

Theme: Innovative Learning-Scapes: e-Scapes, play-Scapes & more

Aim: to examine the impacts that social and mobile media and networks are having on learning environments in higher education

Proposals are solicited on all topics related to higher education including those involving new technologies and globalization related issues. Both scholarly and practice reports are invited. Participants will be from the gamut of academic disciplines across the arts, sciences, and professions, as well as from other administrative and staff functions delivering and supporting new technologies and approaches to learning. As with every HETL conference, we support participation from around the world. Please submit your proposal for a presentation before the July 26, 2013 deadline or simply join us as a conference attendee by registering. No proposal is required if you are attending but not presenting.

Provide recommendations to Member States with respect to the effective use of technology-enhanced learning tools, methods and practices to support the quality agenda and;

Address associated infrastructure, funding, policy, IPR, staff development and accreditation issues to support the adoption of these practices.

The report will be published in June 2014 by the EU High Level Group for the Modernisation of Higher Education which is chaired by former President Mary McAleese.

ILTA welcomes the support and partnership of the EU DG Education and Culture in presenting this theme. We are honoured that Margaret Waters (Deputy Head of Unit – Higher Education) will represent the European Commission at the conference as we address this important and exciting theme.

FACiliTATE Symposium

Facilitate, the Irish Enquiry and Problem Based Learning Network and the Aalborg/UNESCO Centre for PBL and Sustainability announce a joint symposium which will be held in Trinity College Dublin on 29th and 30th May 2014

External

26 May, 2014

National Forum Webinar

The purpose of the webinar is to provide an update on the Forum’s ongoing activities in the Professional Development and Partnership/Collaboration strands.

The session will begin punctually at 1pm and the following link can be used to access the webinar as a guest. There is no need to register in advance.

Topics:• mapping of current Professional Development practice in Higher Education in Ireland

• outcomes of a review of international examples of professional development structures

• review of the Partnership Dialogues undertaken to date with national teaching and learning networks and disciplinary groups

External

30 April, 2014

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Conference

The conference theme is "From Rhetoric to Reality: Achieving Authentic, Equitable & Transformative Partnerships." Proposals are due September 30, 2013 for skill-building workshops, creative arts sessions, stories, roundtable discussions and posters that advance the conference theme and align with one or more of these conference topics:

• Communities as centers of learning, discovery and engagement

• Authentically engaged institutions

• Shared power and resources

• Ethical policies and practices

• Changing governmental and institutional policies and systems

• Sustaining partnerships and their outcomes

• Next generation leadership

• Mobilizing knowledge for action

Whether you are directly involved in community-based participatory research, service-learning or multi-sector coalitions - or are working to ensure the conditions are in place for such partnerships to thrive and have impact - the conference is designed to challenge and inspire you! Regardless of the social justice issue you are passionate about - health equity, education, environmental justice, food security, sustainability, indigenous rights and so forth - together we will explore how partnerships can transform our communities and institutions.

For the full call for proposals, visit http://bit.ly/XYQayv

Concerned about the cost of attending? We are committed to keeping conference costs to a minimum and raising funds to support the full participation of community members, students and individuals from countries with emerging and developing economies. Details will be posted on our homepage at http://ccph.info as they become available.

We look forward to reviewing your proposal and seeing you at the CCPH conference in Chicago next spring!

External

10 April, 2014

4th International Conference on Professional Doctorates

The interest in practice oriented doctorates has grown steadily over the last few decades, so that research and developments in this area have attracted colleagues from a wide variety of subject areas. ICPD-2014 will be of interest to those delivering doctoral programmes at the leading edge of doctoral education internationally, as well as those who support and participate in these programmes, together with anyone wishing to learn more about the latest developments. The conference will be grouped around the following three themes and we would encourage and welcome proposals for sessions where delegates offer particularly innovative, thought-provoking and challenging ideas – including, for example, multi- and trans-disciplinary approaches to doctorates, widening participation and issues around practice knowledge.

External

9 April, 2014

6th Living Knowledge Conference

An Innovative Civil Society: Impact through Co-creation and Participation

The conference will seek to explore experiences with research and innovation for, with and by civil society, and develop policy recommendations and articulate research needs within

community‐based research and research focusing on societal challenges.

How to organize and manage science shops and community‐based research units?

Governance of science and technology with civil society

NAIRTL

7 April, 2014

National Forum: Research Supervisor Support and Development workshop

Building on the national curriculum for Postgraduate Supervisor Support and Development devised by a NAIRTL working group, this one day workshop addresses key areas in the lifecycle of supervising a research postgraduate student.

Using reflective exercises and a peer-learning approach, workshop participants will engage in discussions and explore case studies focussed on common issues faced by supervisors such as “The modern doctorate and changing role of the Supervisor”, "the Supervisors’ roles and responsibilities”, and “Fostering student independence and supervision styles”.

The workshop is offered to all staff employed in Higher Education in Ireland who have, or will have, a supervisory role in relation to postgraduate research students.

Attendance is free but registration (see below online form) is required to ensure your place at this workshop. Please note that the workshop will be limited to 40 participants and we request that you let us know of any cancellations by 9am on Friday 4th of April.

Workshop Schedule

09.45-10.00

Registration

10.00-10.10

Welcome

10.10-11.00

Modern PhD and changing roles

11.00-12.00

Getting started

12.00-13.00

Keeping on track

13.00-14.00

LUNCH

14.00-15.00

The Student Perspective

15.00-16.00

Fostering Student Independence

This workshop is funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning as part of their National Seminar series.

This event is now full but interested participants are invited to email catherine.omahony@ucc.ie to have their name included on the cancellation list.

External

23 March, 2014

Teaching Through Research workshop

The Centre for Research & Interdisciplinary (CRI) is glad to inform of the 1st 10-day Workshop on “Teaching Through Research”. The workshop is part of the creation of a UNESCO Chair on “Learning Sciences”, and will be held in the heart of the historical Marais district in Paris, France, from March 23rd to April 2nd

Targeted participants: Researchers engaged in teaching with experience up to 10 years after their PhD and/or holding a PI position (tenure track/associate professorship) or senior post-docs aiming at such positions may apply.

Application deadline: Feb 13th 2014

This innovative workshop will offer a selected cohort of top young academic teachers- and/or researchers the unique opportunity to benefit from the experience and advice of world leaders with proven track record of developing innovative ways of ‘learning and teaching through research’. The workshop will provide the participants with the opportunity to design their own curriculum and courses.

University are invited to select up to 2 candidate.

Please click here for the brochure of the workshop. The generic email below can be used to propagate the information on the workshop to potential participants. We hope you will be able to further share this document with people and organisations that may be interested in this event.

For further information, please do not hesitate to write to cri.leadershipprogram@gmail.com or to contact the organisers: Ariel Lindner (ariel.lindner@inserm.fr) and Saskia van der Vies (s.m.vander.vies@vu.nl);

University College Cork

28 February, 2014

Beyond the Ivory Tower: student and community partnerships

The value of increased community engagement by the University is growing in recognition. Studies show that curriculum based approaches such as community-based research and community-based learning are powerful ways to revitalise curricula, to enhance the student experience and to grow students awareness of broader societal issues, while helping them integrate their academic learning with personal and practical experience.

With inputs from students who have engaged in a community-based research project facilitated by UCC’s Community-Academic Research Links (CARL) initiative (http://carl.ucc.ie), this lunch-time session will provide an overview of the CARL initiative and its recent projects. Participants will be supported to identify space in current curricula for CBR or CBL activities, and details will be provided of national supports for civic engagement provided by the re-launched Campus Engage network (www.campusengage.ie/)

Presenter:

Dr Catherine O’Mahony is co-chair and founding member of CARL initiative in UCC (http://carl.ucc.ie). She is a convenor of a national mentoring project on Community-based research, organised by Campus Engage, and is also is involved in a FP7 project to support the embedding of community engaged curricula in Higher Education.

University College Cork

5 February, 2014

Designing inquiry-based learning activities

Students report how much they learn from carrying out their own research. In UCC, we are committed to engaging undergraduate students in research. This interactive workshop aims to explore practical ways of designing and incorporating inquiry-based learning into courses. It includes discussion of the issues staff and students face in this mode of learning. It will be relevant to staff and students who would like to explore the integration of inquiry based learning into the curriculum, and participants will leave this workshop with practical ways in which this can be done regardless of subject or class size.

“We want all students to access the benefits that exposure to teaching informed by research can bring….... We believe an understanding of the research process – asking the right questions in the right way; conducting experiments; and collating and evaluating information – must be a key part of any undergraduate curriculum.”

Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, Speech at University of Warwick, 25 Oct 2006

University College Cork

4 February, 2014

Students as Partners in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Staff in UCC report that they are facing many challenges in maintaining high quality teaching and learning, and meeting student experience expectations. UCC has almost 19,000 students, all with their own unique talents. In two reports published only last week, the EU Commission call “for students to have a greater say in decision-making”.

Ways of engaging students in higher education as partners in learning and teaching is arguably one of the most important issues facing higher education in the 21st Century. Partnership is essentially a process for engaging students. It is a way of doing things, rather than an outcome in itself, but it is not always clear how to progress. Professor Mick Healey is just completing a consultancy project for the Higher Education Academy, UK, on ‘Students as Partners in Higher Education”. He will share rich case studies and useful resources with participants.

This practical workshop will take a detailed look at four ways in which students can be engaged successfully as partners through: a) Learning, teaching and assessment; b) Discipline-based research and inquiry; c) Scholarship of teaching and learning; and d) Curriculum design, pedagogic advice and consultancy.

“At its roots partnership is about investing students with the power to co-create, not just knowledge or learning, but the higher education institution itself” (NUS).

7th World Universities Forum

The World Universities Forum knowledge community is dedicated to the concept of independent, peer-led groups of scholars, researchers, and practitioners working together to build bodies of academic knowledge related to topics of critical importance to society at large. Focusing on the intersection of academia and social impact, the World Universities Forum knowledge community brings an interdisciplinary, international perspective to discussions of new developments in the field,

SRHE Address: Professor Sir Peter Scott – Institute of Education, University of London

External

27 November, 2013

Thematic University-Business Forum

The event explores the scope and the challenges of setting up transnational partnerships between higher education institutions and companies. In this regard, we present inititaives that will be available under the new EU programmes Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020. University-business cooperation projects aim at developing entrepreneurial mind-set as well as contributing to regional growth and innovation. We invite you to meet representatives form the worlds of business and academia. Pass word for registration is NPEC.

External

27 November, 2013

Engage 2013: Partnerships that count

To realise the promise of the impact agenda, and to develop genuine mutual benefit from their engagement, universities are increasingly confronting challenges in partnership working.

Engage 2013 will explore:

What demand is there from non-HE organisations to engage with universities, and what are their needs and expectations?

To what extent are universities ready to rethink their models of engagement, in order to stimulate social innovation and develop partnerships that count?

As boundaries become increasingly blurred between businesses, social enterprises and charities, what is the unique contribution that universities can make to social change?

This conference will explore the many ways universities and their partners choose to engage together, and the agendas these partnerships serve. It will provide an opportunity for open dialogue between the HE community, policy makers and funders, and the organisations working with them.

External

21 November, 2013

8th EU Quality Assurance Forum

Through a mix of plenary and parallel sessions, the 2013 EQAF, entitled “Working together to take quality forward”, will combine practice-oriented or research-based discussions that will take place in the paper sessions and workshops with presentations of current developments in quality assurance.

External

11 November, 2013

University-Community Engagement Conference

Papers are invited on substantial, original, and unpublished research on all aspects of community engagement, including, but not limited to the following:

LIN 2013: Sustainable Models of Student Engagement

This year’s conference theme is Sustainable Models of Student Engagement – Rhetoric or Achievable? Abstracts are now being accepted for posters and oral presentations for each of the three sub-themes:

Student to student

Community/industry

Lecturers as students

We are seeking abstracts (300 words maximum) on each of the three sub-themes of the conference for either oral presentations or posters. We are particularly interested in papers that reflect practice and issues of interest to lecturers. Oral presentations will be 15 minutes and this includes time for questions. Posters will be A1 size. Further details will be issued when the review process has been completed.

Abstract submission

Abstracts being submitted for consideration to this conference must be submitted through the ExOrdo conference management system, http://lin2013.exordo.com/. The closing date for receipt of abstracts is July 5th 2013. Abstracts will be peer-reviewed and you will know by 6th September if your presentation has been accepted.

External

15 October, 2013

EDUCAUSE 2013: Best Thinking in Higher Ed

The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference program is derived from member-driven content organized across six overarching IT domains and 18 subject themes. Participants can take part in person in Anaheim, California or virtually from anywhere. Attend as an individual, or gather a team together and make it a comprehensive experience.

Both the on-site and virtual conference activities run from 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 16, to 11:15 a.m. Friday, October 18. Preconference seminars are offered on Tuesday, October 15, for additional fees.

University College Dublin

27 August, 2013

Disability in Health Sciences - AHEAD Summer School

AHEAD in collaboration with University College Dublin Nursing School are organising a Summer School running from 27th – 29th August 2013 for Professionals working in the Health Sciences sector who have responsibility for including students with disabilities in the Health Professions, including clinical placements.

The Summer School aims to open a dialogue about the inclusion of a diverse range of students in Health Sciences, especially students with disability.

The focus of professional health education programs (including nursing, medicine, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy) is to prepare graduates who are able to provide safe, competent care consistent with entry-level competencies and registration requirements. As the number of students registered with a disability continues to increase on these programmes, there is a growing challenge to understand what needs to change while addressing more difficult issues like the attitudes and biases that may continue to fuel stigma against students with disabilities. Generally, if a student has a documented disability, accommodations are mandated by law. The nature of some students’ accommodations prompts concern about their ability to meet program expectations and registration criteria.

External

11 July, 2013

ECTC 2013: The Impact of Innovation: Technology and You

Technology is all around us. Long gone are the days when we could just walk into a classroom with a handful of papers and a piece of chalk. Even if we are in an environment that is lacking resources, our students with mobile phones, internet café, and social networking, are exposed to technology daily. And new uses of technology are being introduced daily. These new uses show how innovation and creativity go hand-in-hand. We invite language educators, administrators, policy makers, and others to join us at ECTC 2013 as we examine technology’s impact upon our classrooms, share what innovations we are currently implementing, and look to the future imagining the role technology will play in education.

ECTC 2013 will attract a diverse group of teachers, researchers, practitioners and scholars who are engaged in the singular goal of meeting students' educational needs, as students can learn about crucial issues and become familiar with web-based learning and other information technology tools. The use of technology in the classroom represents a significant departure from traditional teaching methods, conducting research, assessing student performance and assurance of learning. Moreover, it creates a user friendly and economically viable environment conducive to learning in any corner in the world where access to technology exists.

External

20 June, 2013

STLHE Annual Conference: Learning to Live, Learning for Life

Our conference is inspired by the concept of sustainability and titled “living to learn, living for life.” For us, this theme encompasses living in an economically, physically, and culturally sustainable way and integrating sustained learning throughout. We are particularly eager to show you how environmental and educational sustainability connect in CBU's Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment, one of Canada’s most sustainable university labs.

We have invited two distinguished keynote speakers: Rex Murphy, who many will know as a CBC personality known for his word-smithing and lifelong passion for teaching; and Richard Gerver, who is inspiring teachers globally with his work on educational transformation.

We’re planning a great program, filled with stimulating presentations and workshops, engaging roundtables, and exciting activities outside the program. Our banquet will be held at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, located in the heart of Sydney, and on one of the most successful First Nation communities nationwide. Our welcome reception will be held at the Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion on the Sydney waterfront, famously known as the site of the “big fiddle.”

University College Cork

30 May, 2013

EdTech2013

The Irish Learning Technology Association is delighted to announce that EdTech2013 will be hosted by University College Cork (UCC) on Thursday May 30th and Friday May 31st 2013.

Congratulations to Tim O’Donovan and the UCC submission team on their successful application. We look forward to working together to offer a wonderful EdTech2013 conference on the banks of the Lee.

| Other

17 May, 2013

SEDA Spring Conference: Changing Values in Higher Education

The 2013 Spring Conference takes place as SEDA celebrates its 20th birthday. The conference itself will be a one-day event but will be followed on Saturday 16th May by a series of interesting events – work-related and social - which participants may also wish to attend. All of the events are separately bookable and further information will be available in due course.

The conference will focus upon ‘Changing Values in Higher Education’. Values underpin all our work, be they personal, institutional, professional or national values. With the changes that have happened in education over the last few years in particular it is felt timely to consider the role of values and how they can be employed to enhance our work and practice. Contributors are invited to submit proposals that address the topic, within one of the themes, below.

Proposals could address a variety of questions under each theme, such as:- What are your values?- (How) have values changed as higher education has developed?- Do values vary across the sector or according to discipline?- Whose values are they?- What difference do values make?

Contributors are also encouraged to engage with SEDA’s values and the proposal form will ask for relevant SEDA values to be identified. The SEDA values are listed below: 1: An understanding of how people learn2: Scholarship, professionalism and ethical practice3: Working and developing learning communities4: Working effectively with diversity and promoting inclusivity5: Continuing reflection on professional practice6: Developing people and processes

Your proposal may take either of the following formats: Discussion paper: (20 minutes) giving an account of evaluation, policy or practice with the emphasis on drawing out lessons for others. Research paper: (20 minutes) presentation of research and an emphasis on sharing the findings.Posters: the maximum size should be A1. Posters will be available for participants to view throughout the conference. Additionally, there will be a timetabled poster session when presenters should be available to discuss the content with conference participants.

Submitting your proposalProposals should be submitted electronically to SEDA at conferences@seda.ac.uk, using the proposal form, by Monday 5th November 2012. It is normal practice to accept only one contribution per individual so as to provide the opportunity for as many people to contribute as possible. It is a requirement that all presenters register as conference delegates.

External

13 May, 2013

6th International Conference on Higher Education

The Conference is organized by the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi) and will take place at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, in Barcelona, from 13 to 15 May, 2013.

The GUNi Conference is an international forum for debate on the challenges facing higher education. Each edition of the Conference deals with an emergent issue in higher education, which is the subject also chosen for the Report. Held in Barcelona and attended by renowned experts, researchers, university leaders, academics, policymakers and practitioners from all over the world, the Conference addresses innovative proposals and ideas, as well as the results of the latest research on each subject.

This edition will explore the critical dimensions in our understanding of the roles, and potential roles, of higher education institutions (HEIs) as active player in contributing to the creation of another possible world. Within this context the Conference looks to answer the call of the challenges of our time, while maintaining an eye towards the future regarding the role of knowledge and HEIs.

External

17 April, 2013

HEA Stem: Learning and Teaching Conference

Higher education has changed dramatically over the past ten years with advances in technology, the changing expectations of students, growing diversity and the increasing variety of higher education institutions. This conference aims to disseminate evidence based, effective practice and to examine how this impacts on STEM disciplines.

The Conference will explore the relationship between pedagogy and practice across the full range of HEA STEM disciplines (see below for the full list of HEA STEM disciplines).

Areas for consideration at the conference will include, but are not limited to;

Improving the employability skills of STEM graduates;

Innovative approaches to teaching and assessing large classes;

Giving effective feedback to students;

Growing diversity in the student population;

Practices in peer mentoring;

Impact of information technology in learning and teaching;

Students as partners.

| Other

8 April, 2013

Blackboard Teaching & Learning Conference

Click on Blackboard's link,pasted here, for further details

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

27 March, 2013

National Undergraduate Research Conference

3rd National Undergraduate Research Conference

‘Research Matters’

The call for abstracts for the 3rd National Undergraduate Research Conference is now open.

The conference will take place on Wednesday 27th March 2013 in the National University of Ireland (NUI) Maynooth. Closing date for abstracts is Friday 15th February 2013.

Abstract submission guidelines for oral and poster presentations

This is an opportunity to showcase a research topic or project you have worked on as an undergraduate. Please follow the guidelines below and use the attached template to submit your abstract for an oral or poster presentation.

Format

Abstracts must be formatted as Microsoft Word documents using size 12 font and single-spaced. The body of the abstract is limited to 250 words (excluding headings and references). Please include the following sections in your abstract:

·Abstract title

·Background/Purpose

·Aim/Objective

·Methods

·Results/Conclusion.

Required information

Name, complete address including a correct email address of the first (presenting)

author, to whom correspondence will be sent by email. Please also supply a contact telephone number.

All abstracts must be submitted by email, using the attached template, to ugrc@nuim.ie

Oral Presentations

Oral presentations will be 15 minutes in duration. A laptop and projector will be available for presenters who wish to use MS PowerPoint on the day.

Poster Presentations

Posters can be formatted in portrait or landscape format. Posters up to a maximum of A0 size will be considered i.e. 841 x 1189mm or 33.1 x 46.8inches. Presenters need to be available for discussions about the poster during the conference.

Useful resources and further information

If you would like further information or you would like us to email you some resources which may help you as you put together your abstract, please contact us on, ugrc@nuim.ie or phone us on 01 708 6045.

| Other

11 March, 2013

AHELO

The OECD’s Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO) 'Measuring learning outcomes in Higher Education: Lessons learnt from the AHELO Feasibility Study and next steps') will take place at the OECD Conference Centre on 11-12 March.

Dublin City University

19 February, 2013

Making an Impact 2013

From the HEA website:

The five finalists who will present at the final of Making an Impact 2013 at the Helix on 19th February are –

Making the final choice was particularly tough this year as there were almost 200 entries. This competition is primarily about how effectively research students can communicate their research to a lay audience. Entries should be easily understood by readers or viewers with little or no knowledge of the subject matter. The variety and quality of the research was excellent but the final five had the edge with regard to being able to effectively communicate the impact of their work. They will now face an expert panel as well as an audience of second level students on the 19th.

The CHEA 2013 Annual Conference will bring together speakers and participants from colleges and universities, accrediting organizations, government, higher education associations and the public to address a range of accreditation-related issues. Register before November 15, 2012 to receive a discounted conference registration rate.

The CHEA 2013 Annual Conference will be followed by the inaugural CHEA International Quality Group (CIQG) Annual Meeting, an exciting new forum for consideration of the challenges and opportunities ahead for accreditation and quality assurance internationally. Institutions and organizations that join the CIQG by December 31, 2012 will receive a special new member rate for CIQG Annual Meeting and CHEA Annual Conference registrations.

Click here for a registration form and hotel reservation information. Make your plans now to be with us in Washington, DC!

External

10 January, 2013

6th World Universities Forum: Democracy and Higher Education

As in previous years, the 2013 World Universities Forum will feature sessions on a breadth of topics relevant to the university and its possibilities. In addition, this year’s WUF will also include a special plenary focus: “Democracy and Higher Education.”

Higher education has long had a special relationship with democracy, both as a mechanism for the promotion of democratic society and as a means for democratic equity of opportunity. Recent developments have only explicated the importance of this relationship. For example, university students and faculty continue to play essential roles in today’s democracy movements. At the same time, access to universities and other higher education institutions is diminishing in countries around the world. In some locations, rising fees are reducing access while elsewhere education systems are physically unable to accommodate burgeoning demand.

Given its timely importance, the WUF hopes to initiate a conversation on democracy and higher education, engaging the promise and perils it faces in an era of dramatic change.

Institute of Technology Blanchardstown

14 December, 2012

International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy

Key Challenges for Educators Today: The Voice of the Academic

The field of education is changing rapidly in many aspects, from greater student diversity, wider access, and novel teaching practices to name but a few. Participants at the highly successful ICEP 2011, highlighted change in its many forms as one of the greatest challenges that they face thus inspiring to this year's theme "Key Challenges for Educators Today: The Voice of the Academic".

Through this theme, this year’s conference seeks to help lecturers in Higher Education address, discuss and understand their roles in recognising and responding to current educational challenges.

Call for AbstractsThe steering and organising committees of the International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy are now welcoming abstract submissions for ICEP12.

Abstracts should not exceed 300 words and should be submitted to info@icep.ie with the subject line “LEAD_AUTHOR_SURNAME, 2012 Abstract”.

Preliminary feedback on abstracts will be provided on or before Monday 24th September, 2012. Full papers will be due on Monday 12th November, 2012.

Dublin City University

14 December, 2012

Actioning Engagement Seminar

The National Strategy for Higher Education notes that “Engagement with the wider community must become more firmly embedded in the mission of higher education institutions”. Within the context of shrinking resources we now need to explore the mechanisms for ‘actioning engagement’ through a dialogue within the sector focused on the next stage of implementing the strategy.

Actioning Engagement is an action oriented seminar for Higher Education executives and Civic Engagement champions. The goal of the seminar is to develop a strategy and plan the concrete next steps for the delivery of civic engagement in Higher Education and to explore what might be needed in terms of a national enabling body/platform to support civic engagement activity and collaboration across the sector.

The seminar will explore the various facets of civic engagement such as community based learning, community based research, student engagement, volunteering, community partnerships and widening participation. Using collective knowledge and experience, the seminar will explore new ways to promote academic leadership and address the real challenges.

Keynote introductory talks will be provided by the Higher Education Authority of Ireland and the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, UK.

The seminar will also feature updates from a recent national consultation in Higher Education to explore how to collaboratively drive forward, action and anchor the overall strategy of civic engagement in the various HEI contexts. The consultation was carried out by Campus Engage, an existing HEA-funded inter-institutional civic engagement platform, and it identifies two key areas for action: engagement at executive level within higher education, and the creation of an inclusive, collaborative and effective support network for engagement activities across the sector.

Setting the Scene- National Strategy: policy & priorities- Planning for success: What works & why- Core business: common challenges

Muiris O’Connor, HEA Paul Manners, NCCPEHelen McQuillan, DCU

11h 30

Building a Solid Base- Encouraging student leadership and engagement- Volunteer management and support- Community engaged research/ community partnerships- Supporting sustainable community engaged research and learning

Through this theme, this year’s conference seeks to help lecturers in Higher Education address, discuss and understand their roles in recognising and responding to current educational challenges.

External

10 December, 2012

Launch of results of AHELO feasibility study

The Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes will test what students in higher education know and can do upon graduation. More than a ranking, AHELO is a direct evaluation of student performance. It will provide data on the relevance and quality of teaching and learning in higher education. The test aims to be global and valid across diverse cultures, languages and different types of institutions.

External

5 December, 2012

Engage 2012: Responding to Change

This, the third NCCPE (National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement) National Conference, will explore how engagement helps universities to navigate the complexities of change and to respond to increasingly intense public interest.

The 21st century University must adapt to face the challenges posed by the need to more rigorously demonstrate the impact of research; increasing demands for a 'relevant' curriculum that prepares students for life beyond university; and the need to mobilise knowledge in addressing challenges faced by society. Engagement is a key approach that enables the sector to learn from others and to develop strategies that are sensitive to these wider societal shifts and expectations.

Taking place in Bristol, this interactive conference will look across the whole engagement agenda including research; teaching and learning; knowledge exchange; volunteering and social responsibility, and will explore common themes including:

Leadership: How can leaders of higher education best navigate the current changes to the sector?

External voices: How do organisations outside the sector view higher education? What potential do others see in the sector developing a more engaged approach to their work? What lessons have they learned that could help us?

Partnership: With the strain on public resources, how can sustainable partnerships be supported to deliver mutual benefit?

Realising Impact: Increasingly funders require organisations to evidence impact of their work. What are the key ways to ensure impactful work? How can this be evidenced?

Teamwork: Increasingly the role of effective team working – across disciplines, roles and within and outside the sector – has risen up the agenda. What are the key ways to build and support teams to realise the potential of working together?

Effective Practice: There are lots of examples of innovative or excellent practice across the UK. What can we learn together from these projects to inspire change?

The conference is aimed at anyone passionate about the role of public engagement including: senior managers responsible for inspiring a culture of engagement within their institution; funders working to inspire institutions to develop more engaged practice; policy makers responsible for creating an environment where engagement thrives; community groups working with or wanting to work with universities and research institutes; academics wanting to develop engaged practice; public engagement support staff; public engagement practitioners - or those interested in engaging the public with their work (including students and researchers); students keen on realising the potential of an engaged education; volunteer managers; engaged organisations and charities wanting to develop more effective engagement work in partnership with the HE sector.

The conference starts with three specialist workshops – you can find out more about these here: Specialist workshops

External

27 November, 2012

Higher Education and the Global Agenda – Alternative Paths to the Future

The 14th General Conference of the International Association of Universities, co-organized by the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico USA, takes place from 27 to 30 November 2012.

It has, as its overall theme, Higher Education and the Global Agenda: Alternative Paths to the Future. Speakers and participants will examine how higher education and research are addressing the ‘global agenda’, including the critical issues facing humanity. At the same time, major questions that face higher education institutions themselves, such as the pressure for internationalization and the constraints and opportunities presented by current funding models, will be discussed as these are critical determinants in the role that higher education and research might play in the future.

| Other

8 November, 2012

2012 Symposium on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

This gathering of teacher/scholars is a practitioners conference dedicated to developing individual and collaborative teaching and learning scholarship, sharing nascent data and findings, going public with compelling results of completed research projects, and building an extended scholarly community. The goals of this event, and the Institute for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at Mount Royal University, include understanding and improving student learning through systematic scholarly inquiry and building collective knowledge for the future.

Keynote speakers- Carol Geary Schneider, President of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)"High Impact Practices and the Meanings of “Success”"- Jennifer Murphy, ex Manager of the Irish National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL)"Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Impacts in the Irish Higher Education Sector"- Carmen Werder, Director of the Teaching-Learning Academy at Western Washington University, and Erik Skogsberg, Doctoral student in the College of Education at Michigan State University"Students as Co-Inquirers in Dialogue: A Threshold Concept in the Scholarship of Teaching nd Learning"

External

7 November, 2012

e-Infrastructure for the Future of Education & Research

We are very happy to announce that Pat Rabbitte TD, Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources will deliver the opening address at this year's Conference.

Check out the Programme, Speaker and Talks Tabs - for details on the range of stimulating topics and speakers which we have put together for you, from across the HE sector and industry.

Company profiles for our sponsors and a floor-plan for the exhibitor area can be found on the Sponsorship Tab.

We hope that you can join us for this valuable opportunity to keep up-to-date with developments and network with technology experts and peers.

If you require information about any aspect of the conference please contact: Fi Coyle: fiona.coyle@heanet.ie / +353 1 6609040

External

6 November, 2012

EDUCAUSE 2012

EDUCAUSE 2012 offers a robust, member-driven program, focused on providing value you can use all year long. In addition to the general session speakers, networking, and experience you'll gain on-site at EDUCAUSE 2012.

External

28 October, 2012

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment has become one of the most important topics in educational research. EARLI SIG 1 invites researchers and practitioners to share their perspectives on how assessment affects learning, organizational change and assessment policy with colleagues at our biannual meeting. Main themes of the conference are formative and summative classroom assessment, large scale assessment and assessment policy.

External

25 October, 2012

International Conference: Science & Public in Decision-Making Processes

The main aim of the conference is to create a forum for exchange the ideas about various forms and roles of knowledge and expertise in decision-making processes in current societies. The conference focuses on the discussion of two main questions:

Forms of public participation in decision-making processes - benefits, costs and limitsThe public deliberation and participation in decision-making processes has been broadly discussed in social sciences for several decades. Public deliberation and participation are not only the topics of theoretical disputation but also the focus of the broad international movement for political reforms. How to achieve sustainable and effective public participation and deliberation? Is it possible to improve the cooperation among public and empowered spheres within current institutional frameworks? Do the broader deliberation and participation bring the better governance and democracy?

The links between science, public and empowered spheresThe Czech as far as many other European educational and science policies are currently being subjects of governmental reforms. One of the main reform aims is to strengthen the links between science and society and emphasize the science outcomes which could be directly implemented in praxis. This situation brings the opportunity for wider reflection of the role of science in society. What are risks and benefits of opening up the science institutions to nonscientific interests? How should scientists relate to politics, policy and civil society? What are the links between science and public expertise and experience?

The conference aims to engage people both from within and outside academia to the discussion of these and related questions.

INVITED CONFERENCE SPEAKERSAndrew Stirling, University of SussexProfessor of Science & Technology Policy (SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research, The Sussex Energy Group, School of Business, Management and Economics), Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange (School of Business, Management and Economics) Stirling is an interdisciplinary researcher, policy advisor and postgraduate teacher. He shifted from undergraduate astronomy through science studies to masters in archaeology and social anthropology and a doctorate in science and technology. Stirling is the author of more than a hundred academic papers on issues around ‘the precautionary principle’, ‘public participation’ and ‘technological transitions’. He’s been a member of several policy advisory committees for UK public bodies and international agencies including the EU Energy Consultative Committee, Expert Group on Science and Governance and as Rapporteur for the EC Science in Society Advisory Committee. Stirling was formerly a campaign director for Greenpeace International,later served on their Board and that of Greenpeace UK.

Claudia Neubauer, Fondation Sciences Citoyennes, FranceDr. Claudia Neubauer is co-founder and director of Fondation Sciences Citoyennes, a nonprofit organization that aims at democratizing sciences and technologies so that they serve common goods and a socially and ecologically more just world. Dr. Neubauer has a PhD in human genetics and a Masters in scientific journalism. She has been working on numerous issues such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis, nanotechnology, scientific citizenship, national and European research systems, and expertise and research capacities of civil society organizations. She is (co)-author of reports for the French Ministry of Research, the Office for Technology Assessment at the German Parliament, and the European Commission. Dr. Neubauer is board member of the European Network of scientists for social and environmental responsibility (ENSSER) and member of the Unit 'Foresight' of the Social, Economic and Environmental Council of the French region Bretagne.

Deadline for submission of abstracts for presentations: June 30, 2012Deadline for applications to workshops and participation without presentation: August 30, 2012

ISSOTL 2012

You are invited to join the 9th annual conference of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. At this event, international scholars and educators will come together to share recent work and to discuss how our collective efforts will transform the future of higher education.

The conference will feature workshops facilitated by leading scholars in the field, distinguished international plenary speakers, panel presentations, individual paper and poster presentations, and ISSOTL’s signature Conference Commons for informal idea-sharing and networking. Please join us!

The theme of the 2012 conference is *Research on Teaching & Learning: Integrating Practices*. This theme encompasses several potential topics or threads, including (but not limited to):

We welcome proposals for papers, panels, posters and pre-conference workshops, particularly those related to the conference theme. Proposal guidelines and a link to the online submission form can be found at: http://issotl12.com/call-for-proposals/.

Questions?For additional information, please visit: http://issotl12.com or contact Beth Marquis (marquie@mcmaster.ca). To learn more about the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning, see: http://issotl.org.

| Other

24 October, 2012

Communicate 2012: Breaking Boundaries

Communicate is the annual conference for environmental communicators – bringing together a mix of NGOs, media professionals, green business leaders, academics and policy makers. Get informed and get involved with the crucial current and upcoming debates in the sector, and get direct feedback on your own communication campaigns. Organisations from across the field contribute to the content - and Communicate stays ahead of the curve.

External

17 October, 2012

EASST 2012: Design and Displacement: social studies of science and technology

For the Joint EASST/4Sconference 2012 we broadly invite papers that address the dynamics and interrelationships between science, technology and society. Papers which address the meeting's theme 'Design and Displacement' are especially relevant, but papers on any topic in STS are welcome.

'Design' has become a key concept across a multitude of disciplinary domains and social spheres. In addition to its traditional 'aesthetic' associations, it is now a key term in multiple scientific domains and in diverse technological practices. One can even think of societies and social arrangements being 'designed'. In science and technology, 'design' implies the re-arrangement of materials and ideas for innovative purposes. When newly designed scientific and technical objects enter the world, however, their initial purposes are often displaced.

For decades, STS researchers have been following the practical and political dimensions of science and technology. By focusing on concepts and practices of scientific and technological design at their sites of construction and on their multiple displacements the 2012 conference continues this tradition. By bringing together 'design' and 'displacement' we want to highlight how scientific and technological design engages with existing socio-technical arrangements in both planned and unplanned ways, facilitating both collaborations and contestations, and generating both order and disorder.

The conference encourages analytic, critical and practical engagement with design and displacement in several ways. First, it points to the need for investigating the relation between design intentions and their displacements, for example as catalysts for change and conflict. It also highlights the importance of investigating design controversies. It locates design practices in broader political contexts, and focuses attention on how design facilitates or hinders social inclusion, locally and globally. The theme 'Design and Displacement' invites careful analyses of the way design practices take part in shaping worlds. However, 'Design and Displacement' also raises questions around STS as design work and practice-based interventions. In this sense design becomes simultaneously topic and outcome, a situation that raises new questions concerning the role of STS research.

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

16 October, 2012

Launch of online Assessment Skills for Clinical Teachers module

The School of Physiotherapy at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland will officially launch their online Assessment Skills for Clinical Teachers module on the 16th October this year. This project was made possible as a result of the 2011/2012 NAIRTL grants scheme and the funding was used to create a research-informed online module in assessment of undergraduate clinical performance. The module has been designed using best practice guidelines in clinical teaching and also in online education, using a combination of software programmes to maximise accessibility for clinical teachers. The site is hosted on the Moodle II virtual learning environment platform and incorporates screencasts, embedded YouTube videos and PowerPoint slides.

Following the launch the module will be available to all physiotherapy educators nationally.

For further details contact Aileen Barrett at abarrett@rcsi.ie

Image Gallery

Click on an image to view a larger version.

| Other

11 October, 2012

LIN 2012: Creativity, Innovation and Change

The Learning Innovation Network's 2012 conference will feature keynote speaker Lord David Puttnam and is on the themes "Creativity, Innovation and Change".

| Other

4 October, 2012

6th European Conference on Games

Over the last ten years, the way in which education and training is delivered has changed considerably with the advent of new technologies. One such new technology that holds considerable promise for helping to engage learners is Games-Based Learning (GBL). The Conference offers an opportunity for scholars and practitioners interested in the issues related to GBL to share their thinking and research findings.

The presentations will cover various issues and aspects of GBL in education and training such as:

technology and implementation issues associated with the development of GBL

use of mobile and MMOGs for learning

pedagogical issues associated with GBL

social and ethical issues in GBL

GBL best cases and practices and other related aspects

University of Limerick

26 September, 2012

The Digital Learning Revolution in Ireland: Case Studies from the National Digital Learning Resources Service

Come along and see how digital learning resources are being applied across many disciplines!

This Symposium will comprise presentations from a select number of practical case studies of digital resources in action. All of the 16 case studies, which will presented on the day, will form chapters in a book soon to be published with Cambridge Scholars Publishers and will be available shortly after the Symposium. The focus of the NDLR Research Symposium is on the impact that these digital resources are having on the practice of teaching and learning in Ireland. In a relatively short period of time the rapid development of ICT has radically changed our methods of accessing and using educational resources. This Symposium will provide opportunity to reflect on and discuss issues surrounding the use and integration of digital resources into classroom practice.

22nd IAVE World Volunteer Conference

The theme for the 2012 event is "Volunteering and Human Rights: working for the noblest aspirations of humankind - the pursuit of peace, freedom, opportunity, safety and justice for all people through volunteer effort".

| Other

17 September, 2012

IMHE 2012: Attaining and Sustaining Mass Higher Education

This event constitutes a unique opportunity for policy makers, institutional managers, civil society representatives and academic researchers to be part of a showcase for a high level audience (CEOs, ministers, rectors, etc.).

The Conference will focus on the challenges of attaining and sustaining mass higher education, in an increasingly competitive and international context.

External

17 September, 2012

National Awards for Excellence in Teaching 2012

Winners of the 2012 National Awards for Excellence in Teaching will be announced at a ceremony in the Coach House in Dublin Castle on Monday 17th September 2012. Full biographical details of the Award winners are available here.

Location

The Coach House is in the Dublin castle complex near the Dubh Linn gardens and adjacent to the Chester Beatty library. It is best accessed through the Palace street or Ship street entrances.

Please note attendance at this event is by invite only. The event is now fully booked!

| Other

17 September, 2012

Disruptive Change and Innovation in Higher Education

DBA in Higher Education Management 10th Anniversary Conference Hosted by International Centre for Higher Education Management (ICHEM), University of Bath

Higher education is currently experiencing what has been described as a period of disruptive change. The significant forces from the external environment including the financial crisis and globalisation are impacting substantially on higher education. As well as these external factors higher education institutions are experiencing numerous disruptive forces including dilution of funding sources, changing student demographics, questions regarding the quality and value of qualifications as well as increased competition within the sector. It has even been suggested that globally higher education is enmeshed in a crisis which some commentators have likened to the recent economic bubbles and which threaten the long term sustainability of higher education institutions and systems in their current form.

This conference looking at the impact of disruptive change on higher education institutions and the broader higher education sector internationally will feature keynote addresses by three respected international higher education experts, each with a different perspective on the challenges faced. The conference will feature interactive sessions examining how the forces of disruption are impacting the steering, governance, management and operation of institutions and systems of higher education.

The Keynotes will be given by three international thought leaders in higher education namely, Prof Simon Marginson who is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne, Prof Stephanie Marshall who is Deputy Chief Executive of the Higher Education Academy in the UK and Dr Diana Oblinger CEO of EDUCAUSE.

ALTC 2012: a confrontation with reality

The time, effort and money that learners invest in their education need to be matched by commensurate learning experiences, improved use of technology in learning, and effective methods of delivery, all underpinned by sustainable business models. Here are three of the hard questions that we face, both as institutions and as individuals, each centred on the development of knowledge about technology in learning:

How can learning technology better support the core processes of learning, teaching, assessment, recruitment and retention?

What will be the place of open educational resources and other kinds of free, shared, low cost or informal support and organisation in good provision?

How should we respond to learners themselves, who are increasingly voluble in their desire for value for money and for effective use of technology?

Speaking in June 1962, John F. Kennedy railed against our tendencies to “hold fast to the clichés of our forbears”, “subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations”, and “enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought”. He called for a “new, difficult, but essential confrontation with reality”.

University College Cork

13 September, 2012

ECIME 2012: Big Data, Better Technology, Brighter Future

The European Conference on Information Management and Evaluation (ECIME) provides a forum for both researchers and practitioners to come together to develop their understanding of both theory and practice in all aspects of IT/IS management and evaluation. The wide scope of ECIME reflects the increased use of technology to manage information in and between organizations of all types and sizes across the globe. ECIME 2011 will provide opportunities for people working and researching in the field to come together both formally and informally to share their knowledge and expertise.

The European Association for International Education (EAIE) annually hosts the largest international higher education conference in Europe, providing an open arena for international professionals involved in all aspects of higher education to exchange ideas, learn from best practices and debate policies and hot topics in the field.

The EAIE is now accepting proposals for poster sessions and e-poster sessions to be held at the EAIE Conference in Dublin 2012. The Conference Programme Committee (CPC) invites all those interested in international higher education to become actively involved in the conference programme for 2012. The CPC seeks current and thought-provoking topics, and speakers who can engage their audiences with quality-driven content in lively and informative discussions.

External

8 September, 2012

ICEF Higher Education Workshop

The ICEF Higher Education Workshop is a specialised recruitment event for officially accredited international higher education institutions, education related service providers and tertiary-focussed student recruitment agents from all over the world.

An integral factor in the success of this workshop is that all agents undergo rigorous pre-screening and must demonstrate competence and focus in sending students to higher education institutions.

External

31 August, 2012

eAssessment Scotland 2012: Feeding back, forming the future

Keynote Speakers: Professor David Boud (University of Technology, Sydney), Cristina Costa (University of Salford), Russell Stannard (University of Warwick) and David Miller (Kuato Studios and former Guardian UK Teacher of the Year).

If you’re working with or have any experience of eAssesment (including ePortfolios, online marking, or similar), then please share your story with us at the fourth eAssessment Scotland conference in Dundee. The conference is open to everyone, and we welcome presenters from all across the globe (not just Scotland!). We’re looking for examples of how eAssessment has been used in education, health services and the commercial sector (everywhere really).

Conference DetailsLast year, the third annual eAssessment Scotland conference welcomed around 300 delegates to Dundee. Now firmly established as the UK’s largest conference focusing on technology-enhanced assessment practices, we look forward to making the fourth conference the best yet! This year, eAssessment Scotland turns its attention to the important issue of feedback – what forms it can take, who should be responsible for it, and how it may be acted upon once received. Technology has its part to play in bringing feedback to the fore and we want to hear how you are making a difference in this area.

We believe our conference offers something special to the community:• eAssessment Scotland is the UK’s largest conference dedicated to looking at the benefits and implementation of eAssessment. Our conference draws in speakers and delegates from across the globe, giving them a chance to share their experiences and examples of good practice.• eAssessment Scotland is a practical conference – we cover what’s happening now and bring you ideas, approaches and technologies that you can embed in your teaching and assessment today. It really is for everyone with an interest in the area. We welcome delegates from the public and private sectors – if you have a story to tell, or just want to learn more, then you should join us in Dundee on the 31st of August (or online from the 23rd August to the 6th September). • eAssessment Scotland is FREE to attend (though it’s not FREE to run, we work hard with our organising partners and sponsors to raise the funds to run the most popular event on the eAssessment calendar).

The structure of the eAssessment Scotland conferences continues to evolve, responding to the feedback we receive each year. Many delegates felt there was far too little time on the day to absorb all the good content in eAssessment Scotland 2011 and so, for 2012, we will include a parallel online component. This online conference will run before, after and during the physical conference held in the City of Dundee on the 31st of August.On registering for the online event, delegates will initially have access to online discussion boards, material related to the upcoming presentations and early access to the poster presentations. On the week beginning the 27th August, delegates will be able to sign up for online presentations that focus on the conference theme of feedback and the use of technology to enhance the assessment process. The online conference will continue until the 6th of September, allowing everyone to share their own feedback and experiences of eAssessment Scotland 2012.The face-to-face conference on the 31st of August will once again play host to the Scottish e-Assessment Awards. Some of last year’s winners will be returning to Dundee to deliver presentations on latest developments connected with their award-winning projects. Perhaps you would like to consider submitting an entry this year? More details about the Awards are available on the conference website, with submissions accepted from the beginning of March.Through the contributions of the organising partners and commercial sponsors, attendance at this one-day cross-sector conference and its online component will be, once again, free to delegates. With each year drawing more delegates from across the globe, make sure you book your place at the UK’s most popular e-Assessment event of the year. Registration will opens in May.

AISHE-C 2012, the eighth international conference of the All Ireland Society for Higher Education, will take place in Dublin City University on 30th & 31st August 2012. The overall theme of the conference is Responding to Change: Effective Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Within this, specific topics will include:

The conference showcases the best of scholarship within the island of Ireland, and also warmly welcomes international participants who can share wider experience and perspectives.

Keynote Speakers- Tara Brabazon, University of Ontario Institute of technology.- David Baume, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

External

29 August, 2012

ISL 20: Improving student learning through research and scholarship

The major aim of the Symposium is to provide a forum which brings together those who are primarily researchers into learning in higher education and those who are primarily practitioners concerned more pragmatically with improving their practice, and encourages the sharing of scholarly work and collaborative discussion. But from whichever starting point, papers are only accepted if they take a sufficiently scholarly, research-based approach.

In 2012 we celebrate 20 years of the Improving Student Learning Symposium with a conference theme of ‘Improving student learning through research and scholarship: 20 years of ISL’ so this year we especially invite participants to submit proposals which reflect back on what we have learnt over the past two decades, or would want to claim we now understand about student learning, and the research evidence that supports it.

5th Annual Conference: Emerging Technologies for Online Learning

The symposium has a new mission statement designed to emphasize the innovation and invention that is the focus of the conference: A conference devoted to the emerging and innovative uses of technology designed to improve teaching and learning online. Tracks for this year’s conference include Digital learning Environments & Communities; Accessible Learning for All; Evidence-based Learning and Reflection; Learning And Data Analytics; Faculty and Student Development; and Innovation in Media and Tools. Woven into the conference program and offered within the structure of the tracks will be special emerging technologies, sandbox, leadership, and STEM sessions.

Who Should Attend This conference, which will provide the latest information on emerging technology applications for online learning, is geared to both experienced professionals and interested newcomers to online learning who hail from a variety of work sectors, including higher education, continuing education, business, government, health care, professional associations, and nonprofit organizations.

External

23 July, 2012

ICED2012: Across the Globe Higher Education Learning and Teaching

The general aim of the ICED2012 (International Consortium for Educational Development) Conference is to become an international meeting point for participants to reflect and exchange ideas and experiences in researching and supporting educational development at different levels from classroom to national scales. The experiences of scholars in many countries, especially those in Asia and ASEAN, will be shared with scholars from other parts of the world. The sharing of best practice in the development of higher education will be most valuable for rethinking of quality learning and teaching paradigms for all parts of the world.

Conference Themes:- Strategies for enhancing learning for the next generation of students- Scholarship and research into the practice of educational and academic development- Policies and practice in institutional and organisational development- The development of higher education across the globe

Conference TopicsWe welcome proposals on these topics below, or any others which are interesting and important to the world-wide community of educational and academic developers- Transformative learning- Education for sustainability- A futuristic view of education- Learning for social change - Postmodern teaching pedagogy and instructional technology - Changes to the learning environment - Learning engagement and course design / development / management - Paradigm shifts in teaching and learning - Assessment in higher education- Cross-cultural education - Global quality and standards of higher education- Student and lecturer mobility

Submissions and AbstractsWe invite the submission of abstracts for consideration by the peer review panel for one or more of the following types of sessions in the conference: paper, workshop or poster.

Papers should report research findings, or discuss evidence-based practice, or critically assess policy or practice. Papers may be clustered and presented in shared sessions (20, 30 or 60 minutes, including discussion time).

Workshops should be action-oriented (60 minutes). They should include a short input (up to 15 minutes) and activities for delegates to participate in. They should be of interest and relevance to a wide audience Please include a timetable showing the design of the event.

Posters should be A0 in size (portrait layout) and present summary information about your work in a visual or text format in a way that is of interest to the conference participants. You will be asked to talk about your poster during networking sessions.

Abstracts should include title and speaker names, and the name of a key contact. They should be no more than 200 words. They will be published in the Conference programme.

International Symposium for Engineering Education 2012

ePortfolios as a Catalyst for Connections: Celebrating the Curious, Creative and Capable Learner

The AAEEBL annual e-portfolio conference takes place from July 16-19 2012.

Keynote speakers include:- Peter Elbow, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. "Technology, Writing and Spoken Language" -- an interactive, experiential workshop looking at the way technology moves writing closer to spoken language and why that is a good thing -- Monday workshop 8:30 a.m. to noon.- Todd Zakrajsek, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. "Overcoming Apathy and Creating Excitement in the Classroom" -- With a foundation from educational psychology and cognitive neuroscience, this session will demonstrate and explain how instructors can make classroom learning a more meaningful experience for students.- Gillie Bolton, "Reflective and Reflexive Writing to Inspire ePortfolios" -- Attendees at this plenary talk will learn the secrets of the vital creative role of writing in reflection and reflexivity and the connection to eportfolios. - Barbara Cambridge, National Council of Teachers of English, Washington, DC- John Richards, cs4ed and Harvard University. Featured speaker at the K-12 Institute on Monday (full day).

External

15 July, 2012

Robert Boyle Summer School

The Robert Boyle Summer School will run this summer from the 15th - 18th July at his birthplace, Lismore Heritage Town, Co Waterford.

Robert was the son of Richard the “Great Earl” of Cork and was born in Lismore Castle in 1627. He devoted his life to scholarship in theology, philosophy and science and he became a key figure in what is now referred to as the scientific revolution, laying the foundations of the modern world. Hugely influential in his day, he was a founder of the Royal Society, is regarded as the “Father of Modern Chemistry” and is chiefly remembered through the fundamental gas law “Boyle’s Law”. Modern scholarship has shown his life and work to be more complex than previously presented by admiring biographers and his legacy far greater and this will be addressed by leading scholars at the school.

This year is a special year to celebrate: it is the 350th anniversary of the publication of "Boyle's Law" and the 15th July will be the 350th anniversary of the granting of the charter to the Royal Society. The dates of the festival will suit participants attending ESOF Dublin 2012.

Ireland has for many years now had several highly successful summer schools celebrating literary figures and now there will be a place where scientists and non-scientists can meet and discuss matters relating to science and consider the place of science in our culture.

The organisers are pleased to announce that world-leading Boyle scholars will be coming to Lismore including Michael Hunter, Birbeck College London, Lawrence Principe John Hopkins University, Michelle DiMeo, Georgia Tech, Kieth Moore, Librarian at the Royal Society. They will be joined by several scientists including Jonathan Ashmore FRS and Ingrid Hook. There will also be costumed recreations of Boyle's most famous experiments, guided walks and tours.

Enquiries and Booking for the festival may be made with Lismore Heritage Centre

Telephone: +353 (0) 58 54975 / 54855Email: lismoreheritage@eircom.net

External

11 July, 2012

ESOF 2012

ESOF is an inter-disciplinary, pan-European meeting, held under the auspices of Euroscience, which aims to:

Showcase the latest advances in science and technology.

Promote a dialogue on the role of science and technology in society and public policy.

Stimulate and provoke public interest, excitement and debate about science and technology.

Running from July 11-15 2012, the event will bring together 6,000 scientists, business leaders, government officials and international media to discuss the best of European science and to address all of the major global challenges, including Energy, Climate Change, Food and Health.

ESOF 2012 will incorporate a number of distinct streams:

A Science programme of seminars, workshops and debates on the latest research.

A Media programme to promote science communication.

A Business programme to link basic research with industrial applications.

A Careers programme for young researchers.

An Exhibition to showcase the best of European public and private research.

An Outreach programme to engage with the general public.

Dublin seamlessly blends over one thousand years of history and heritage with all the features of a modern, cosmopolitan city.

A ten year programme of sustained investment in science has resulted in world-class universities supporting cutting-edge research.

Renowned for its friendliness and the richness of its social and cultural life, Dublin will deliver an intellectually, culturally and socially invigorating programme for delegates. So, come to Dublin for the best of European science at ESOF 2012 and stay on in Ireland for the craic!

AUCEA 2012: Next Steps: Community Engaged Learning

Community Engaged Learning is the focus of the conference and it is based upon mutual benefit and reciprocity between the “engagers”. Engagers may be from the community, including business/industry, or be part of a university as academic or non-academic staff or students.

The spectrum of Community Engaged Learning encompasses a diverse array of activities that enhance the community, the university, and the student experience.

The conference will organise presentations around the following perspectives or themes on Community Engaged Learning: • student perspective/s• community perspective/s• business/industry perspective/s• academic perspective/s.

Presenters and conference delegates are encouraged to think about how these themes play out in the context of their work work in particular, and how they relate to University-Community Engagement in general.

University of Dublin, Trinity College

27 June, 2012

Threshold Concepts Conference

The 2012 Threshold Concepts Conference was the National Academy's 6th Annual Conference and the 4th Biennial Threshold Concepts Conference, and attracted close to 300 delegates over the two days.

Student SymposiumA free pre-conference symposium took place on June 27th from 2-4pm for delegates new to the area of Threshold Concepts.The workshops addressed the following themes.Workshop 1: Background to Threshold Concepts Workshop 2: Introduction to Decoding the Disciplines

Conference Publication:Conference proceedings will follow the 2012 International Conference. Paper and Pecha Kucha presenters are invited to submit a paper for consideration. The draft paper is due on June 20th with a final version to follow on July 20th. Posters presented at the conference will also be considered for inclusion in the proceedings CD ROM and .ppt files submitted by June 27th. Please adhere to the author/poster guidelines.

Keynote Speakers

Professor Patrick CarmichaelPatrick Carmichael is Professor of Education at the University of Stirling. He has been a Principal Investigator of a number of educational and education technology research projects, including several which have applied and explored the ideas of 'threshold concepts' and 'troublesome knowledge' in widely divergent educational settings. His recent work has focused particularly on teaching and learning in interdisciplinary settings and on rethinking the nature of 'design' as it applies to learning technologies.

Professor Glynis CousinGlynis Cousin is the Director of the Institute of Learning Enhancement in the University of Wolverhampton. She has joined the University from her previous role as Senior Advisor at the Higher Education Academy. She is one of the UK’s foremost educational researchers and has extensive experience working with teachers in many disciplines. Throughout her work as a higher education researcher and developer Glynis has published in the areas of diversity, internationalisation, evaluation and pedagogic research. She is also strongly associated with the field of curriculum inquiry that is centred on threshold concept theory. Her most recent book Researching Learning in Higher Education has just been published by Routledge.

Professor Ray LandRay Land PhD is Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Research at Durham University, UK. He is a member of the OECD international expert panel for Higher Education and has also acted as consultant to the European Commission. His research interests include academic development, threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge, research-teaching linkages, and theoretical aspects of digital learning. He has recently edited two new volumes: Threshold Concepts and Transformational Learning (2010) and Digital Difference: Perspectives on Online Learning (2011) both published by Sense Publishers.

Dr Bettie HiggsBettie Higgs is the co-director of the Teaching and Learning Centre at University College Cork and is also a lecturer in the Department of Geology. She is interested in the nature of learning, and the public understanding of science, and since 2002 she has also coordinated activities designed to support staff in their teaching and learning role in University College Cork. She was a 2005 Carnegie Scholar, at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and received an MA in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in 2007. She is also an associate lecturer for The Open University, and she tutors geology to students in the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education, UCC.

Registration: The registration fee for the conference was €200. Staff in the 37 Higher Education Institutions linked to NAIRTL and associated educational bodies are eligible for a fee waiver.

For a full refund, notification of cancellation should have been received by the end May of 2012. Please note: if wiring fee from abroad, charges may be applied by Bank. Please allow for this when making the transfer.

University of Limerick

26 June, 2012

IFSAM 2012: Management Re-imagined

IFSAM is an association of Academies of Management designed to foster the development of international scholarly activities all of which are directed at understanding management research, pedagogy and practice.

The theme of the 2012 World Congress is “Management Re-imagined”. Central elements of management theory, research, pedagogy and practice have all come under scrutiny in recent years in the context of the global world in which we now live. The rigour and the relevance of our scholarship, an on-going ethnocentrism informing the body of knowledge, a dearth of contextualisation in the research effort, an enduring academic-practice divide, coupled with a concern about the extent to which we have engendered a capacity for professionalism among our graduates, have all been brought into sharp relief as a result of the recent crises. These are central charges which demand a considered response from business and management scholars in order that we might reinstate our legitimacy. Against this backdrop, our ambition for IFSAM 2012 is to provide a truly global forum for debating the state of our field and generating a capacity for action. We invite you to join us in this debate in order that we might develop and advance a credible, defensible and meaningful route map for the future. To assist in charting a course though this complexity, we have identified 22 all-encompassing Congress Tracks covering all the major fields in management. In addition, we will host a Doctoral Consortium, and Early Career Consortium and 8 Regional Forums on the contours of management scholarship around the globe.

CSSI Summer Seminar “How Student Services Can Support Engagement”

Keynote speaker Dr Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, Center for Postsecondary Research & NSSE Institute -National Survey of Student Engagement - at Indiana University will highlight her experience of analysis and documenting effective educational practice, and facilitating the use of student engagement data. (http://nsse.iub.edu/)

Mr Muiris O’Connor, HEA, will discuss how the Engagement theme from the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 will be implemented. (www.hea.ie/en/national-strategy)

Parrell session dicussion themes include engagment with business, engagement with community and civil society and engagement with professional and personal development.

External

13 June, 2012

International Blended Learning Conference: Reflecting on our achievements – What’s next for technology-enhanced learning and teaching?

The past decade has seen great innovation in technology-enhanced learning and teaching, both in the UK and internationally. The knowledge base we have as a sector is significant, but where do we go from here? The conference will once again have an international flavour and will also provide a unique opportunity to hear from the wide variety of work associated with the full range of current JISC projects and programmes; including those focussing on digital literacies, technology-enhanced assessment and feedback, curriculum design and open educational resources.

The All-island Innovation Programme's annual conference will take place in Galway in June. The theme of the conference is "Advancing Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Empirical Insights for Businesses, Innovators and Entrepreneurs".

Keynote speakerProfessor Don Siegel is Dean of the School of Business and Professor of Management at the University at Albany, SUNY. Professor Siegel is also President of the Technology Transfer Society, a non-profit organization devoted to the interdisciplinary scholarly analysis of entrepreneurship and technology transfer from universities and federal laboratories to firms.

Conference OrganisersThe All-island Innovation Programme is delivered in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast, NUI Galway, University College Dublin and University College Cork.

External

12 June, 2012

Student Engagement Conference: The Powers and Perils of Partnership

A great deal has been written, spoken and done about student engagement by us all. In fact, it is the rationale behind a lot of what NUS and other sector organisations do. But what has it all been for? Are we really ensuring students are at ‘the heart of the system?’ If not, what needs to change? NUS and the Higher Education Academy are delighted to announce a two-day conference on student engagement held on 12-13 June 2012. The conference will: • Highlight some of the ways that NUS and the Higher Education Academy have been working to embed student engagement at the heart of each and every institution, including its projects on student-led teaching awards and widening engagement • Showcase some of the work being done by students, students’ unions and institutions across the UK to ensure student engagement is not merely tokenistic • Reflect on the research and evidence-base for student engagement • Explore the debates underpinning student engagement • Bring together voices from across the sector to look to the future of student engagement and how we can continue to ensure that it is meaningful and accessible to all

External

11 June, 2012

Higher Education Creativity Conference

The global knowledge economy of the future will be driven by creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition, the challenges facing nations around the world will require new approaches. Colleges and universities, therefore, must foster creative approaches for their students and their institutions.

Sichuan University (China) and Arizona State University (USA) invite you to expand the vision for your university by attending the Higher Education Creativity Conference in Chengdu, China, on June 11-14, 2012 at the Kehuayuan Hotel. International speakers from multiple disciplines and from some of the world's leading universities will speak. Networking, entertainment, and exciting learning and business opportunities are just a few things happening at this conference. Researchers, administrators, policy-makers, business leaders, and students are invited to attend.

Programs to nurture among students the characteristics of highly creative individuals

New theories about human cognition that inform creative practices

Innovative curricula that develop creativity in students

New institutional models of organization to better meet the challenges of the future

Don't wait, register now or apply today to be a speaker. The Higher Education Creativity Conference will be an exciting opportunity to learn what’s happening around the world and to expand on the subject of creativity in higher education!

Conference participants wishing to give a poster, oral or workshop presentation which addresses the themes of the conference are invited to submit an abstract (max. 250 words) which will be reviewed by the organising committee.

Based on their quality, a selection of participants will be invited to participate at the conference. Student prizes may be awarded to the best poster and oral presentation during the conference.

Submissions can be made by emailing abstracts to: smec12@dcu.ie using the subject line: "ABSTRACT SURNAME" (of authour)

SMEC2012, the fifth in a series of biennial International Science and Mathematics Education Conferences (SMEC) hosted by the Centre for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Teaching and Learning (CASTeL) of Dublin City University and St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, Dublin.

A particular focus of this conference will provide an opportunity for teachers from across the 11 countries of ESTABLISH consortium to share their experiences and examples of Inquiry in their classrooms.***

CONFIRMED PLENARY SPEAKERS & WORKSHOPS TO DATE INCLUDE:

William McComas, College of Education and Health Professions, University of Arkansas, USA

The written word: writing, publishing and communication in HE

Essays, reports, papers, books, journals, and even blogs - all are at the heart of higher education, and the ability to write clearly and intelligently is deemed a hallmark of a successful graduate. For those working in academia, the need to publish journal papers, monographs and other emerging media forms is vital, with performance metrics based on output and citations. To navigate the complex world of the ‘information age’, powers of discrimination and judgement are essential to the enterprise of sense-making’. Academics, increasingly need to be able to communicate with a wider audience, to reach out and share their passion and expertise with the public and engage with debate and critique in educational, scientific, cultural and political spheres.

How, then, can we nurture the skills (and the pleasure) of writing amongst students? How can we hone and fine-tune our own approaches and adapt to new media, new audiences? What can we do to challenge the increasing costs of publication, of journal subscription charges and the ‘paywalls’ that block access to knowledge? How can we weave together the skills of communication, critical thinking and public engagement?

These are just some of the questions we will be exploring in the keynotes, parallel sessions and ‘foyer chat’ in the 10th Galway Symposium on Higher Education. Come along, listen to the arguments and raise you own voice, in a spirit of collegiality, conviviality and intellectual curiosity.

Any queries regarding the event may be directed to michelle.tooher@nuigalway.ie

Twitter hashtag: #celt12

University College Cork

5 June, 2012

What's wrong with the University?

These are testing times for universities and for those working in them. Staff are constantly exhorted to be more efficient without compromising quality; to compete with one another but also to collaborate; to be creative and be more accountable; and to foster autonomy in a regime of control. In short, public expectations of universities are confused and contradictory.

As universities have grown, they have embraced sameness, standardisation and technical rationality, which now threaten to stifle the heart of academic endeavour. Thus, a key question for those working in universities is how to deal, individually and collectively, with pervasive technologies of control. When is it right to resist bureaucratic instrumentalisation and the introduction of private sector practices, and when is there something to learn from them? In what spirit should we participate in attempts to measure our work, our teaching, our research? What are our job expectations, and how do we manage the uncertainty surrounding them?

In many ways, these local issues speak to the changing and contested role of higher education in contemporary philosophical, economic and political models. These wider logics also raise a host of questions about the position and understanding of teaching within universities: What will teaching be like in 20 years time? Is the ideal of humanistic education finally being replaced by a world of on-line learning? Are the more traditional questions about knowledge, information, and culture still relevant? What do students need from their educational experience in the 21st century? What is happening to – and inside the ears of – our students? What do students need from their educational experience and what does society want universities to do?

This two-day conference brings together a range of speakers with a deep knowledge of teaching, learning and research in universities. The conference is free and open to all, but registration is required. Please register before May 15, 2012 by emailing Loretta Brady at l.brady@ucc.ie

Speakers include:Prof Lee Harvey, Editor of Quality in Higher Education and Higher Education QuarterlyProf Kathy Hall, Professor of Education, UCC.Prof John Phillips, Dept of English Language & Literature, National University of SingaporeProf Caroline Fennell, Head of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, UCC.Dr Julia Jansen, Head of Philosophy, UCCMr Ben Honan, President, UCC Students Union.Prof Martin Parker, Professor of Organisation Studies, Warwick Business SchoolMr Mike Jennings, General Secretary, Irish Federation of University TeachersMs Loretta Brady, Department of English, UCCDr Seán Barrett, Seanad Éireann (Ind) Dublin University Panel and Department of Economics, TCD.Prof Darryl Jones, Head of School of English, TCD.

Conference supported by Department of Management & Marketing, Department of Law, College of Business & Law, College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences, and the journal Organization.

University of Dublin, Trinity College

4 June, 2012

International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media

The International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media (ICWSM) is a unique forum that brings together researchers from the disciplines of computer science, linguistics, communication, and the social sciences. The broad goal of ICWSM is to increase understanding of social media in all its incarnations. Submissions describing research that blends social science and computational approaches are especially encouraged.

Though this conference is just in its sixth year, it has become one of the premier venues for social scientists and technologists to gather and discuss cutting-edge research in social media. This is largely due to a typical acceptance rate of 20% for full-length research papers published in our conference proceedings and support from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI).

For ICWSM-12, in addition to the usual program of contributed technical talks, posters and invited presentations, the main conference will include a selection of keynote talks from prominent social scientists and technologists. Building on the success of the first workshops program in 2011 and our regular tutorials day, ICWSM-12 will also hold a workshops and tutorials day just before the main conference.

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

31 May, 2012

EdTech2012: Digital Literacies for Life

The modern digital age increasingly affects our everyday lives. We are experiencing rapid changes in how we engage with work, family, education and wider society in a globalised and interconnected world. How can the educational sector respond to the opportunities and challenges presented by the modern digital age? - Flexible and lifelong learning opportunities facilitate increasingly diversified, inclusive and participatory educational offerings; while technology‐enhanced learning environments and tools support accessible student‐centred activities. - However, recent research suggests ‘digital native’ students’ ICT skills often do not transfer easily to educational settings (Beetham et al, 2010); and that tutor guidance remains a critical determinant of the technology based learning practices adopted by learners (Goodfellow and Lea, 2009).

The theme of EdTech2012 is ‘Digital Literacies for Life’. We invite participants to address this key issue from practitioner, research and policy perspectives to identify, develop, apply and promote the digital skills, competencies and literacies required for education in the 21st century.

Collaborative Research - Values and Impact

The second Action Research Colloquium which brings together practitioners and action researchers from different fields such as business, industry, healthcare, education and tourism will be hosted by Waterford Institute of Technology on 24th & 25th May 2012. Building on the success of last year, the 2012 Colloquium will have a focus on sharing and exploring experiences working with action research or other collaborative research approaches.

The colloquium ethos is on opening conversations. The programme will have two streams: paper presentations and practice workshops. The colloquium theme for 2012 is ‘Collaborative Research - Values and Impact’. To facilitate the colloquium’s conversation focus, both streams will be structured to maximise time for discussion.

Additional workshops will address getting work published, building interest in action research across different fields and influencing policy. The Action Research Colloquium will provide an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to present their work and to engage with critical issues emerging in the field. The conference will have Professor Rami Shani and Dr Clare Rigg as keynote speakers.

The Action Research Colloquium should be of interest to:·Researchers undertaking action research·Supervisors of students engaging in action research·Participants (academic and practitioners) in action research projects

Cost:€95- including coffee breaks, lunch on day 1 and colloquium pack€140- colloquium and conference dinner

NAIRTL writers' retreat

NAIRTL issued an invitation to all grant holders, past and present, to participate in a Writers Retreat. The purpose of the retreat is to facilitate and support NAIRTL grant holders in finalising papers concerning their NAIRTL grant activities for submission to a relevant peer-reviewed journal. A requirement for participation in the retreat was that NAIRTL grant holders should be at the first draft stage of their papers at the time of the event.

Please do not complete the below form as this event is now fully booked!

Date: May 21- 23 2012

University of Dublin, Trinity College

18 May, 2012

Undergraduate Admissions for the 21st Century

A major one-day international conference on admissions will be held in the Trinity Long Room Hub this Friday May 18th and will feature expert speakers from Ireland and around the world. The conference entitled 'Undergraduate Admissions for the 21st Century' aims to explore alternatives to the existing CAO system and whether it is possible to measure other criteria such as potential, motivation and suitability for courses, alongside academic achievement, for admission to third level.

Speakers will include Professor Steven Schwartz, the Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University, the author of a very influential report on fair admissions to third-level. Other expert speakers on admissions will include Professor Robert Sternberg, Provost of Oklahoma State University and author of College Admissions for the 21st Century, and Dr Anna Zimdars of King’s College, London, who will provide a perspective on admissions procedures in the UK and the international context.

The afternoon session will feature broadcaster and historian John Bowman who will chair a debate about how colleges might admit ten students on a hypothetical course, such as Law, using alternative methods. Further details about the conference, and the full programme, can be found on the website at www.tcd.ie/undergraduate-studies.

The May 2012 conference will focus on the student journey. The student experience has always been at the centre of SEDA's work but in the current climate with increased student fees, and a focus on employability it is even more central to our roles.

Conference Themes:· * Student transition * Engaging students in their learning design and /or assessment * Students as researchers * The student voice in staff professional development * Preparing students for work

Dublin Institute of Technology

11 May, 2012

Women, Men and Management in Irish Universities: a recent study

Universities are typically presented as meritocratic. In that context the under-representation of women in university senior management can be seen as reflecting an absence of merit. It will be suggested that such a conclusion ignores the gendering of definitions of merit in academia and the importance of social capital in accessing senior management positions. Using data collected in a cross national study (Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, UK, Turkey, South Africa, Sweden and Ireland), and drawing on Sinclair’s (1998) analytical model, the paper will present a typology of organisational culture involving denial; identification of women as ‘the problem’, incremental adjustment and commitment to a new culture. The paper will conclude by suggesting that the gendered character of Irish universities at senior management level is not unrelated to the disinterest of the state in this issue. The wider implications of the study for gender as a social structure (Reisman, 2004) will be briefly discussed.

Speaker BiographyPat O’Connor is a Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Limerick. She is currently working on a project on gender in relation to Higher Educational Policies and Structures – with a particular focus on senior management in Higher Education.

For further information and to reserve your place please contact martin.ryan@dit.ie.

Further details about HEPRU seminars will be made available on the HEPRU website, as they become available.

External

10 May, 2012

Living Knowledge Conference: Re-imaging research relationships: co-creating knowledge in a democratic society

This two-day conference will provide an opportunity for policy makers, academics and civil society organisations to consider current practice and future opportunities in the field of research partnerships.

The 5th Living Knowledge Conference will set its focus on different themes to get more insight in processes, and develop specific policy recommendations that resonate with public concerns and articulated research needsÂ and built on the experience and know-how of the previous LK conferences in Leuven, Seville, Paris and Belfast. It will be an opportunity to bring together some of the key thinkers and practitioners in the area of community based research, university/community partnerships and Science Shops and aims at providing options and opportunities for collaborations and ensuring that this area of work is prioritised on policy agendas both nationally and internationally.

The conference will also be a platform to exchange and discuss findings and results of the first half of the PERARES project. PERARES (Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society) is a project which has been awarded financial support by the European Commission as coordination action in the 7th Framework Programme for broarder engagement on science-related questions and structuring public engagement in research.

| Other

2 May, 2012

NDLR Fest 2012

The NDLR Fest 2012: 6th annual showcase of Irish Digital Learning Resources, which is being launched by Sean Sherlock TD, Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills with responsibility for Research & Innovation, also welcomes Professor Martin Curley as Keynote speaker at this years event!

The main aim of the NDLR Fest 2012 is to showcase the wide array of free technology enhanced learning resources that have been generated across all subject disciplines in the Irish HE sector as well as celebrating the cooperative and collaborative process in which these resources have been developed, used and reused. This years programme will also introduce an NDLR Peoples choice award. This award will be in recognition of the contribution to shared digital resources for higher education in Ireland.

The annual NDLR Fest provides a platform to showcase the wide array of e-learning resources and associated Teaching and Learning activities that have been generated across all subject disciplines in the Irish HE sector as well as celebrate the collaborative process in which these resources have been developed. The NDLR Fest also provides an opportunity for academics involved in teaching in Irish Higher Education to:

- Exhibit and share a wide range of re-usable digital learning resources that can be used in blended learning, classroom or online learning activities (e.g. lesson plans, interactive quizzes, diagrams, images, simulations, videos, online tutorials and podcasts , etc);- Forge new links for developing innovations in teaching and learning;- Discuss key issues surrounding digital resource sharing, use and reuse in Ireland;- Exchange know-how and exemplars of sharing and collaboration across subject disciplines and institutions;- Demonstrate impact and use of eLearning across subject disciplines and share best practice approaches in teaching and learning.

The NDLR is a HEA funded national service involving all HEA funded higher education Institutions in Ireland, the premise of which is to foster the use, reuse and development of digital learning resources amongst the academic community in Ireland. The intention of the NDLR service is to raise awareness of best practice and reduce the duplication of effort amongst the HE community through support of collaborative projects and exchange of ideas, learning content and practice. Primary, secondary education and the heritage sectors will also be represented at this event.

The NDLR Fest 2012 is expected to be attended by over 250 higher education academics with another 150 virtually attending through the live streaming of the event.

Further information about the NDLR Fest can be found on the NDLR website www.ndlr.ie

| Other

30 April, 2012

Launch of 'Ireland under Siege' - an educational mobile phone App

The 'Ireland under Siege' app is an immersive e-learning tool that allows users to walk around key historical siege sites learning from and interacting with the surrounding environment through their smart phone camera.

The app was developed by staff at the University of Limerick in cooperation with NUI Galway and the Royal Irish Academy, and funded by the National Academy for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning under the 2011 Grants Initaitive.

Attendees at the launch will include representatives of secondary schools, museums, history and heritage associations as well as the public, the commercial and tourism sector, and the media. During the launch participants will witness a demonstration of the app and learn about its functions as a tool for education and tourism.

The application aims to enhance students' and other users' understanding of historical developments and events during 17th century Ireland that brought conflict to Limerick, Galway, Athlone, Sligo, Drogheda and Londonderry/Derry. It will also contribute to the users' knowledge of the historical forces that shaped contemporary Ireland by finding historically important locations throughout Ireland and providing users with resources such as maps, graphics and illustrations of individuals, weaponry and fortifications. To complement the app a web based resource for use in the classroom has been produced also.

External

18 April, 2012

Inaugral PedRIO Conference

The inaugural PedRIO conference is designed to bring together colleagues from across the university to share pedagogic research. This event will be organised around 4 themed symposia which aim to bring researchers together to disseminate and discuss research findings as well as and develop potential collaborations for future research.

We are delighted to announce Professor Glynis Cousin, Director of the Institute for Learning Enhancement, University of Wolverhampton as our keynote speaker for this event. Further information about the event will be circulated in November, and registration will open in January 2012.

The call for papers is now open and we would like to invite contributions in the form of

Research Methodology Pedagogic research based in different disciplines is strongly encouraged. Please also consider joint papers with colleagues from other universities with whom you collaborate, and invite co-researchers to the event.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 19th December 2011.

Please download the abstract submission form and email completed forms to teachingandlearning@plymouth.ac.uk

The review process will be completed by 20th January 2012.

External

18 April, 2012

PCST 2012: Quality, Honesty and Beauty in Science Communication

The organizing committee of the 12th PCST is proud to invite you to participate in the scientific and social & cultural programs of the 12th International Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference, that will be held in Florence, Italy, April 18th - 20th, 2012.

Empowering Learners in Higher Education

The conference is entitled "Empowering Learners in Higher Education" and will focus particularly on the following themes:1. Supporting success with student diversity2. Feedback and assessment3. Developing graduate attributes4. Enhancing the curriculum5. Learning transitions6. Using technology to support learning7. Interdisciplinary learning

Call for abstracts:The conference will offer presentations (30 minutes) and interactive workshops (60 minutes). I invite you, therefore, to submit abstracts for presentations and workshops using the online tool at: http://www.gla.ac.uk/learn/events/annuallearningandteachingconference/.All abstracts should relate to the conference title and should address at least one of the above themes, and will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

* breadth of interest to the community* links to the University's Learning and Teaching Strategy [not for external contributions]

Please submit your abstracts by 30th November 2011. As with the 2011 conference, successful abstracts will be published in the Proceedings in booklet and online formats.

Registration:Registration will open early in the new year, when the full programme will be announced. Full details will also be published on the website.

External

16 April, 2012

Ireland International Conference on Education (IICE-2012)

The IICE is an international refereed conference dedicated to the advancement of the theory and practices in education. The IICE promotes collaborative excellence between academicians and professionals from Education.

The aim of IICE is to provide an opportunity for academicians and professionals from various educational fields with cross-disciplinary interests to bridge the knowledge gap, promote research esteem and the evolution of pedagogy.

The IICE 2012 invites research papers that encompass conceptual analysis, design implementation and performance evaluation. All the accepted papers will appear in the proceedings and modified version of selected papers will be published in special issues peer reviewed journals.

External

3 April, 2012

Leaders' Perspectives on Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Education

Organised by the HEA and HETAC, this conference will focus on initiatives for embedding enterprise and entrepreneurship in higher education. Specifically, it will address structures and supports for helping to build and evaluate the relevant capacities – which lead to a healthy and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the HEIs. These structures and supports are described in a set of draft guidelines and criteria.

| Other

2 April, 2012

Ireland & UK Moodlemoot 2012

It has been a few years since a Moodlemoot has been held in Ireland, so we are delighted to announce that the Ireland & UK Moodlemoot 2012 will be held in Dublin, Ireland.

We invite you to join us and other members of the Ireland and UK Moodle community for 3 days in Dublin this April 2-4, at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Northwood.

The conference will enable connecting and sharing between practitioners and administrators from across Ireland and the United Kingdom

The Moot schedule will include the following:

Monday April 2nd: 4 workshops on Course Design, Administration and Development

Tuesday April 3rd: Conference Day 1

Tuesday April 3rd: Conference Dinner

Wednesday April 4th: Conference Day 2

The theme for the conference will be “Moving forward with Moodle”. We hope to showcase many fine initiatives and projects during the conference on a range of topics including:

Implementing & Developing Moodle

Teaching & Learning with Moodle

Academic takeup of Moodle

Student engagement

Moodle 2

External

2 April, 2012

Inspiring Matter: Innovative Encounters between Science, Art & Design

Inspiring Matter will provide you with a unique insider’s view of how some of the world’s leading designers, scientists, artists and anthropologists think and work within materials research and innovation, and enable you to be in at the start of an important new series of materials-based events and research activities which the RCA is launching at the conference.

We have asked our presenters – including physicist Professor Sir Richard Friend (University of Cambridge), Anna Valtonen (ex Head, Nokia design-research, now Rector, Umea Design Institute), architect Mike Davies (Rogers Stirk Harbour) and anthropologist Professor Susanne Küchler (University College London) – to talk frankly about how they work across disciplines, how they tackle the challenges of collaboration, and how they find and apply inspiration in their work with materials.

Having heard these unique experiences and insights, there will be plenty of opportunity for you to share ideas, experiences and questions both with the speakers and with your peers from the worlds of art, design, the humanities and science. Inspiring Matter is the beginning of a new RCA-based community which will facilitate useful and inspiring dialogue across materials-related disciplines. We look forward to you joining us in this initiative, and to welcoming you to the RCA for Inspiring Matter.

Dublin Institute of Technology

30 March, 2012

HEPRU Seminar: Incentivising Knowledge Exchange

Incentivising Knowledge Exchange: A Comparison of Vision, Strategy, Policy and Practice in English and Scottish Higher EducationIncreasingly universities, and the academics within them, are being encouraged to strengthen their engagement with the world outside as national governments seek ‘return on their investments’ in research. This seminar explores the transformation of the role of higher education in the UK over the last 20 years from a historical perspective with changing economic rationales, policy drives and institutional and individual strategies for ‘Knowledge Exchange’. We will also explore the diversification of policy and institutional governance and management mechanisms within the UK higher education sector, through devolution processes and new funding mechanisms. Finally, we will examine the incentivizing of ‘Knowledge Exchanges’ especially in the social sciences, and identify methodological issues for evaluating their impact on wider society.

About the speakerDr Fumi Kitagawa is a lecturer in Enterprise Studies at the University of Manchester’s Business School. Fumi is a member of the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MioIR) and also works in the Manchester Enterprise Centre. Her research interests include: innovation policy, academic entrepreneurship, university-industry relationships, regional innovation systems, and industry engagement in research training. Prior to joining the University of Manchester, she was a researcher at the European University Institute in Italy and at the University of Bristol, and served as an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Innovation, Research and Competence in the Learning Economy (CIRCLE) at Lund University in Sweden. Prior to this, she worked at the government research institute of Japan, focusing on higher education policy.

The DIT Higher Education Policy Research Unit (HEPRU) is holding a series of seminars over the coming months. Please see below schedule:April 20th: "The Irish Higher Education Landscape"May 11th: Pat O'Connor (University of Limerick): TBA May 22nd: Martin Ryan (HEPRU): "The Production of Scientific Output by Early-Career Researchers"June 15th: Elaine Ward (HEPRU): "The Value of Arts and Humanities Research in Ireland"June 20th: Pamela Eddy (William & Mary): TBA

Further details about these seminars will be made available on the HEPRU website, as they become available.

Please contact martin.ryan@dit.ie for further information about the seminar series.

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

30 March, 2012

Occupation Author: How reading functions in the lives of young writers

“To write well you must read well.” “You can only write as well as you can read.” “The best way to learn to write is to read, read and read some more.” These are deeply held and long treasured beliefs, promoted by teachers and famous authors as well. In the folklore of literacy, reading is considered the gateway to writing. But how sound are these intuitive beliefs? Drawing on in-depth interviews, this presentation offers close examinations of reading-writing relationships in the lives of 20 young adults who write intensively outside of school and university. How is a writing identity discovered through reading? What are the important differences between a reading-privileged literacy and a writing-privileged literacy? How does writing lead these young adults toward—and away—from reading? The aim is to complicate easy associations between reading and writing and to examine a fuller range of social conditions by which writing literacy develops.

FacilitatorDeborah Brandt is Professor Emerita of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she taught undergraduate writing and graduate courses in literacy and contemporary writing theory. She is author of the award-winning book, Literacy in American Lives, which uses life history analysis to trace changing conditions for literacy and literacy learning in the lives of 90 everyday people across the 20th century. She is at work on a new book project called Writing Now: New Directions in Mass Literacy, a project that is being supported with grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation.

Please email us on writingcentre@nuim.ie to reserve a place for this workshop.

University College Cork

29 March, 2012

ESAI Conference: Educational Research in a Time of Transformation: Insights, influences and impacts

This year's theme invites practitioners and researchers to reflect on and discuss the role played by educational research in this period of significant societal and systemic transformation.

The Educational Studies Association of Ireland invites submissions that address, both nationally and / or internationally, the broad theme of educational research in a time of transformation. Presenters are asked to consider the extent to which the work they are engaged in has already or has the potential to influence the current series of debates and developments relating to educational provision policy and practice. In practical terms this might involve:

An examination of the extent to which the current economic and political context is shaping education development, innovation and change

An examination of how educational research is influencing discourse in the areas of policy and practice across the whole range of educational provision

An examination of the impact of research at a local, regional, national and transnational level

A critique of the national and international influences on educational provision

An analysis of the role of researchers and practitioners as translators of educational research for the wider community

Speculative thinking to address possible transformative roles for education research With its broad theme, we hope that the conference can bring together educational professionals from a range of sectors and roles (e.g. researchers, policymakers, teachers, leaders…etc.) from Ireland and beyond to discuss these important educational questions.

External

28 March, 2012

"What Works? Student Retention and Success" Conference

This two day residential conference is the final conference of the three year What works? student retention and success programme. It builds on the successful Retention Convention held in March 2010.

The conference will take a research-informed approach to answering the question ‘what works’ to improve student retention and success in higher education. It will present the outcomes from the three-year What Works? programme, including the key findings, the conceptual model and specific details and tools from the seven projects. In addition, it will showcase the best evidence-informed approaches to what works from across the UK HE sector and beyond through peer-reviewed papers, workshops and posters.

The conference is jointly organised by the Higher Education Academy and Action on Access as part of the ‘What Works? Student Retention and Success Programme’ initiated and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Call for contributionsThe conference is open to individuals with a strategic or operational interest in retention and student success. We welcome a broad range of perspectives and methodologies to critically look at the question of what works to promote student retention and success. While topics not listed below are very welcome, possible themes include:

• Effective interventions to engage, retain and enhance the success of particular student or discipline groups.• Pre-entry support to engage students and improve their preparation for and transition into HE. • Improving the design and delivery of the curriculum to promote the success of all students.• Initiatives and approaches in the academic sphere that promote social engagement with peers and staff.• Proven approaches to identifying, monitoring and engaging students at risk of withdrawal.• The management and/or co-ordination of the student learning experience to promote student engagement, retention and success across the Programme, Department, Faculty or institution (or equivalent).

We invite the submission of abstracts for consideration by the peer review panel for one or more of the following types of sessions in the conference: paper, workshop or poster. All contributions should present research findings and/or evaluation evidence about effective approaches to improving student engagement, retention and success in higher education.

Papers should report research findings, or discuss evidence-based practice, or critically assess policy or practice. Papers will be clustered and presented in shared session. (15 minutes, plus discussion time per paper). Workshops should be action-oriented. They should include a short input (up to 15 minutes) and activities for delegates to participate in. They should be of interest and relevance to a wide audience (45-60 minutes in total). Posters should be A0 in size (portrait layout) and present summary information about your work in a visual or text format in a way that is of interest to the conference participants. Posters will be displayed throughout the conference, but you will be asked to talk about your poster during a networking session.

Abstracts should include a (provisional) title; speaker names, and the name of a key contact. They should be no more than 200 words. Please also indicate if you intend to write up your contribution for inclusion in the Compendium of Effective Practice (see below). Abstracts should be emailed to retention&success@heacademy.ac.uk by Wednesday 30th November 2011.

Peer review processAll abstracts will be reviewed anonymously by two peer reviewers and the final selection of the successful contributions will be made by the conference organising committee. You will be informed of the outcome by Tuesday 20 December 2011.

Please note: we cannot guarantee which day your session will be allocated to if accepted.

Compendium of Effective PracticeIn the run up to the conference we will be compiling a Compendium of Effective Practice. If you would like your work to be featured in this publication please indicate this when you submit your abstract. We will issue further details about the Compendium of Effective Practice in October.

Please email us on writingcentre@nuim.ie to reserve a place for this workshop.

External

22 March, 2012

EUA Annual Conference 2012: The Sustainability of European Universities

In the context of the major changes taking place in European higher education the EUA Annual conference 2012 will:

engage university leaders in rethinking higher education models, to be sustainable in the 21st century world of mass higher education and pressure on universities to perform competitive, high-end research

consider the impact of different initiatives and models

define the key tensions facing universities in rethinking the system and their own institutional strategies

identify the most important elements of ‘sustainability’ for individual universities and for the sector

reach consensus on institutional, national and European strategies and action that can be implemented by individual universities to promote sustainable and successful European universities and address the challenges ahead

External

20 March, 2012

Guardian Future of Higher Education Summit

2012 marks a year of fundamental change for the UK higher education sector . With universities managing tuition fee reform, an anticipated drop in university applications and a feeling of discontent for government policy, the future of the sector is still unclear.

It is against this backdrop that we bring you the sixth Guardian Future of Higher Education Summit, taking place on 20 March 2012 in London. Our annual gathering of UK HE stakeholders is an opportunity to discuss, debate, network and hear from leading speakers on the strategic and practical outlook for HEIs including:

International Summit on the Teaching Profession

The U.S. Department of Education, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Education International (EI), the global federation of teacher unions, will again join U.S.-based education partners—the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Asia Society, the Council of Chief State School Officers(CCSSO), the National Education Association (NEA), and public broadcaster WNET—to hold the second International Summit on the Teaching Profession: Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders.

Education is recognized around the globe as a driver of economic growth and social change, and it is high-quality teaching that enables students to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century. At the 2012 Summit, participants will examine how to improve teacher preparation and the development of school leaders to better address the needs and expectations of today's and tomorrow's learning environments. This year's theme, Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders, was chosen based on feedback from many of last year's participants and will build upon the conversation that was started in 2011.

Teaching and Learning with Technology Workshop

This workshop will feature presentations from key staff in UCC regarding the use of technology in teaching and learning. The presentations are as follows:

13h 00: Teaching and Learning Online: Support for Staff and Students in UCC13h 30: Open Educational Resources: Sustainability in Higher Education14h 30: Blackboard and Online Learning 15h 00: Using Panopto Lecture Capture: A Walkthrough.15h 30: Blackboard: Examples of a Supporting Act

External

13 March, 2012

Going Global 2012

Changing education for a changing world" is the theme of the Going Global 2012 event, held by the British Council. The proposition of Going Global 2012 is that education can change the future of the world: it has the ability to shape and connect the lives of its citizens. But to do this would require us all to radically re-think the nature of our universities and colleges.

Going Global 2012 will explore these challenges through three key themes:

- The future world - The connected world - Winners and losers

External

7 March, 2012

Enhancement Themes 9th Annual Conference

The 9th Enhancement Themes conference will take place on 7 and 8 March 2012, at the Edinburgh Conference Centre, Heriot-Watt University.

We are pleased to announce that the call for proposals is now open.

The main focus of the event will be the newly started Theme, Developing and Supporting the Curriculum http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/enhancement-themes/developing-and-supporting-the-curriculum.

Details of the conference are available on the Themes website http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/annual-conference and will be added to over the coming weeks.

Please do consider submitting a proposal; you will find details of the opportunities here http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/annual-conference/calls-for-proposals, along with the forms for online submission.

There are three different types of submissions which you can make: workshop, presentation and poster.We are keen for students to take part in the conference; please consider making a submission if you are a student, and please consider suggesting this to students if you are not.

Once again, colleagues in sparqs http://www.sparqs.ac.uk/ have offered to provide support for students who would like to contribute to the conference – details are on the website.

The call for submissions will remain open until midday, Monday 12 December.

We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Please feel free to pass on this information to interested colleagues.

5th Annual SoTL Commons: A Conference for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

The conference brings together people engaging in SoTL and anyone wanting to improve student learning outcomes in higher education today. The conference epitomizes that college teaching is intellectual work that is enhanced both by disciplinary scholarship and the scholarship on teaching the disciplines (SoTL). The SoTL Commons Conference is a catalyst for learning, conversations and collaborations about SoTL as a key, evidence-based way to improve student learning.

External

7 March, 2012

International Problem-based Learning Symposium: PBL and the Problematization of Teaching and Learning

The Republic Polytechnic of Singapore will be holding its 3rd International Problem-based Learning (PBL) Symposium following the success of the last two symposiums in 2007 and 2009. With more than 500 participants from 27 countries around the world for the 2009 symposium, this event is a gathering of passionate tertiary educators, PBL practitioners and researchers, mainly from the Asia Pacific region. Previous symposiums have included keynote speakers such as Professor Ronald Barnett, Professor Maggi Savin-Baden and Professor Henk Schmidt.

External

5 March, 2012

INTED2012

The International Technology, Education and Development conference will be provide an international forum for those who wish to present their projects and innovations, having also the opportunity to discuss the main aspects and the latest results in the field of Education and Research.

The general aim of the conference is to promote international collaboration in Education and Research in all educational fields and disciplines. The attendance of more than 700 delegates from 70 different countries is expected.

Dublin City University

3 March, 2012

Science Hack Day

Science Hack Day is an all-day-all-night event that brings scientists, engineers, computer scientists and designers together to find solutions (hacks) to real-life problems and questions during a brief but intense period of collaboration (36 hours).

Science Hack Day's have become an international trend successfully bringing science and technology together by providing a platform for different types of creative and inquisitive minds to collaborate in the same physical space on focused tasks.

Dublin will be the 6th city in the world to run a Science Hack Day after London, San Francisco, Mexico City. Cincinnati and Cape Town with another 24 planned to run throughout 2012. The Dublin SHD will coincide with Dublin as the European City of Science in 2012.

External

28 February, 2012

SLTN Conference: 9000 ways to Engage

The Conference will be focusing on the diversity of initiatives, projects and opportunities that students can get involved in during their time at University.

With the fees rise on the horizon, the SLTN want to continue promoting a positive attitude to getting involved in Learning and Teaching, and encouraging students to creatively engage with their Institution instead of conceding to the increasingly 'consumer' stance.

The one day conference will encourage delegates to share their experiences of active student engagement at their home institutions, bringing together “9,000 Ways to Engage” through the course of the day.

The cost for delegates is only £10. We welcome staff to our events, but strongly encourage them to bring along interested students.

External

25 February, 2012

CESI 12: TEACHnology - merging teaching and technology in schools

The annual conference of the Computers in Education Society of Ireland will take place in Portlaoise on February 24th and 25th, 2012. The theme for this year's conference is TEACHnology: merging teaching and technology in schools. The CESI conference is a calendar highlight for those who are interested in integrating technology into their teaching and learning and this year promises to uphold the high standard that has been set by previous CESI events. You can view some of the highlights from last year's conference in the videos below.Conference updatesInterview with keynote speaker Professor Steve Wheeler of Plymouth University (listen here)Sabine's Musings: blogging snapshot from CESI 2012 (link)

University College Cork

20 February, 2012

How can education eliminate social exclusion?

Featuring John Lonergan, former Governor of Mountjoy Prison, this talk will focus on social justice issues, including the role of education and the challenges of how to make education meaningful for those on the margins of our society.

John will focus on the importance of the opportunities some people get in life and contrast this with those who get little or no opportunity. The talk will also include reflections where John personally saw significant life changes occurring when prisoners discovered a hidden or unknown talent, often as a direct result of a teacher involvement in the first place.

External

16 February, 2012

International Conference on Outcomes-Based Teaching and Learning

The objective of this conference is to provide a forum for the sharing of best practices on the adoption of outcomes-based teaching and learning.

The 2012 conference brings together leading policy, academic and technology experts to discuss the future of Open Education Resources (OER) and the technologies that are making this future a possibility.

External

10 February, 2012

What's next for education?

The Undergraduate Awards are bringing together innovators in the education sector to share their ideas on transforming the classroom into an incubator for innovation and learner-centred engagement, focusing on the profound role that technology plays in transforming the classroom into an interactive learning experience.

For any queries, please contact Sasha on sasha@undergraduateawards.com

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

2 February, 2012

2012 Irish Forum for Global Health

The draft programme for the Irish Forum for Global Health Conference - Global Health Workforce: Pathways to Health is now available online. Registration is also open.

External

1 February, 2012

Interaction Dublin

This is the first year that the annual conference of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA) will be held outside North America. This event will gather together the international design community to network, exchange ideas and showcase design projects. Set to attract in excess of 750 delegates, Interaction 12 is being co-hosted by the Dún Laoghaire Institute for Art, Design and Technology (IADT) and IxDA Dublin.

University College Cork

24 January, 2012

Engaging Undergraduates in Research and Enquiry: Workshop

Workshop by Professor Mick Healy, Emeritus Prof, University of Gloucestershire, and member of the NAIRTL Advisory Board.

Please let us know if you plan to attend, by sending your name/department to m.clohessy@ucc.ie

Institute of Technology Sligo

19 January, 2012

Virtual Worlds, Real Learning: Webinar

This webinar will look at the results of a virtual worlds programme involving 20 Irish primary schools and supported by the National Centre for Technology in Education.

In November 2011, MissionV ran a Science Week event in association with Discover Science & Engineering where each of the 20 schools on the programme developed chemistry themed projects and exhibited them in a massive virtual expo centre. MissionV has also partnered with Dublin City University (DCU) Centre for Talented Youth (CTYI) in Ireland to run part of its Access programme. CTYI is using the platform as a virtual school with tutors based in DCU teaching children in number of northside schools entirely through the online environment.

University of Dublin, Trinity College

12 January, 2012

EUA Council for Doctoral Education Workshop

Higher EdTECH

The 3rd annual HigherEdTECH will bring together the catalysts who are leading this change, along with their most promising digital innovations at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 11, 2012 in Las Vegas.

Iconic technology pioneer and education visionary, Scott McNealy, will be the closing keynote speaker. Mr. McNealy co-founded Sun Microsystems, Inc., serving as its chief executive officer and chairman, and is founder of education organizations, Curriki.org, and chairman, Wayin, Inc. He will offer a blunt assessment of the current state of education as well as original thinking on what needs to change.

The Bagels and Bandwidth Breakfast will kick off the Summit with remarks by James L. Applegate, vice president for program development at the Lumina Foundation. Lumina’s “Big Goal” is to dramatically increase educational attainment in the U.S. leading to 60% of Americans achieving high-quality degrees and credentials by 2025.

A full day of provocative panel discussions and innovative demos will follow, to include:

Keynote Speaker: Dr Kelly Coate - The Curriculum and the Limits of Imagination

Biography: Vice Dean (Graduate Studies) in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, Lecturer in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching NUI Galway. Kelly’s research interests are focused on changes within higher education systems, particularly around such issues as teaching and learning, policy, internationalisation and gender. She previously worked at the Institute of Education, University of London, as a researcher and lecturer, where she taught on the MBA in Higher Education Management programme and on the research training programme in the doctoral school.

University-Community Engagement Conference 2012

Universities in the 21st century are at an important crossroad. With a projected student population of 200 million by 2030, universities do have the potential of making a difference to local and global concerns. While universities have to produce graduates who have skills to operate effectively in a globally competitive environment, it is also widely recognized that its fundamental challenge is to provide an ethical knowledge base responsive to societal needs, and contribute to the common wealth (not just financial or economic wealth) and well-being of its entire people. Indeed the complexities of our unsustainable societies can present new opportunities (as well as challenges) for universities to reclaim their relevance and responsibility to society.

Objectives

To deepen critical discourse on empowerment role of universities and their knowledge creation practice;

To explore methods, strategies and experiences used in mutual social engagement and partnership among different sectors;

To strengthen the capacity of universities in the process of social reform for social justice and sustainable development;

To enhance networking, and the sharing of experiences among educators, communities as well as social development practitioners and to show best-practice cases of university-community engagement of various types.

External

9 January, 2012

Education World Forum: Learning from the best in the world

The 2012 event will examine some of the most rapid of improvements taking place in particular cities, states and regions within countries to enable ministers to benchmark and share the most effective education policies and strategies that are helping them achieve success.

The Forum is for national ministers of education and their immediate delegations. Participation is by official invitation only.

External

8 January, 2012

World Universities Forum 2012: Reinventing the University in a Time of Crisis

The 2012 World Universities Forum (WUF) will be held at the University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece from 8 to 10 January. This year’s WUF will be held in Greece thanks to the generosity and collaborative spirit of the conference host, the University of the Aegean, School of Humanities.

Inspired by the success of the World Economic Forum held each year in Davos, the World Universities Forum has developed into a key site for academic discussion on the current state and future possibilities of the university. The WUF has throughout the years welcomed delegates from dozens of countries around the world, numerous academic disciplines, and a range of professional areas including research, university administration, business, and policy-making. Now in its fifth year, the World Universities Forum maintains its commitment to a broad examination of the university, and invites paper proposals on a range of relevant topics.

However, given the dramatic impact of financial and political crises around world, the 2012 WUF will focus significantly on the ways in which these crises are bringing about major changes in the university itself, as well as in its relation to the society. It aspires to initiate a discussion on how we might engage this challenge in constructive ways, critically addressing long-dominant models of the university and considering new possibilities for its future. This focus is reflected accordingly, in the special theme: “Reinventing the University in a Time of Crisis.”

The WUF welcomes distinguished plenary speakers, all of whom will share their particular insights on this special theme, including:

In addition, given that the host country is in the midst of a major economic crisis and at the same time in the process of restructuring higher education, the program will feature the panel, “Reinventing the Greek University.” This panel will include, among other key Greek contributors:

* Chryssi Vitsilaki, Professor and Director of Post-Graduate Program, School of the Humanities, University of the Aegean, Greece * Linda Katehi, Chancellor, University of California, Davis, USA * Mary Kalantzis, Dean, College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

The 2012 World Universities Forum is a continuation of an annual discussion that began in 2008 in Davos, Switzerland, and was held subsequently in Mumbai, India in 2009, Davos, Switzerland in 2010, and Hong Kong in 2011. If you would like to join the discussion, we welcome you to submit a presentation proposal for the 2012 Forum.

Proposals may be submitted for a number of thematic streams, including a special stream: “The Greek University: a Case in Point.” This special stream will not only highlight papers on Greek higher education and its many challenges; it will also serve the wider discussion about how universities, regardless of location, might deal with major socio-economic and political crises facing their respective nations. Selected papers from this stream will be published in an edited volume on Greek higher education, its past, present and future.

Presentation options include a 30-minute paper session, 60-minute workshop, jointly presented 90-minute colloquium and a virtual session. All presenters are welcome to submit their written papers to the peer reviewed Journal of the World Universities Forum. To submit a proposal, please see the Call for Papers.

A number of registration options are available for both presenting, and non-presenting, delegates. Potential delegates currently residing in Greece are eligible for a special reduced rate registration. For details on all options, see the Registration page.

The World Universities Forum also welcomes nominations for the Best Press, Best Policy and Best Practice in Higher Education. This year’s awards will recognize the most significant higher education accomplishments of 2011. To learn more about these awards, and to make nominations, please see the WUF Higher Education Awards page.

This year’s conference seeks to help lecturers in Higher Education address, discuss and understand their roles in recognising, responding to and, in many cases, initiating change.

External

15 December, 2011

Strategic Management of Internationalisation

The conference will examine some of the challenges facing universities and governments as a result of the growing internationalisation of higher education throughout the world. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from leading experts on global trends, to learn about new developments and to consider practical responses. Case studies of national policy and institutional practice will be debated and new approaches to the evaluation of internationalisation discussed.

Organised by the Nordic University Association (NUS), the Nordic Association of University Administrators (NUAS) and the OECD’s Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE).

The 2011 SRHE Annual Research Conference will be held on 7, 8 and 9 December 2011 and, by popular request from previous delegates, is returning to the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport in South Wales. Celtic Manor, set in 1400 acres of parkland in the stunning Welsh USK Valley, is one of the finest conference venues in Europe offering state of the art conference facilities, accommodation for all conference delegates and extensive and exclusive spaces for delegates to network.

We anticipate a start time on Wednesday 7 December of 11.00am (registration from 9.00am) and a mid-afternoon finish time on Friday 9 December 2011.

The Welcome Reception will be on the first evening, Wednesday 7 December and the Conference dinner on Thursday 8 December.

The SRHE Annual Research Conference is planned as a participative event at which delegates presenting their own work will also participate in the discussions in plenary sessions and the presentations of the work of others. The Conference programme is planned on the basis that delegates will attend the whole event over the three days.

Key elements of the Conference programme will include:

Keynote speakers followed by small group discussions

Presentations of papers in individual sessions, group workshops, symposia and round tables

A Welcome Reception on the evening of Wednesday 7 December

A series of pre dinner research seminars offering the opportunity for researchers to meet and discuss issues with colleagues working in similar or related research areas

Dinner in one of the resorts 5 highly rated restaurants

Conference dinner on Thursday 8 December

External

7 December, 2011

Research on Teaching & Learning: Integrating Practice

This annual conference is an opportunity for individuals interested in scholarship pertaining to post-secondary teaching and learning to connect across disciplines and institutions, and to exchange ideas and research findings.

We’re pleased to invite abstract submissions for this conference to be submitted by October 16 2011. We welcome research on any area related to teaching and learning in higher education, including (but not limited to):

Collaborative teaching methods

Non-traditional approaches to student evaluation

Teaching with technology

Teaching large classes

Community engaged learning

Inter- and Trans-disciplinary teaching and learning

Teaching inclusively

Conducting and assessing Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) work

Proposals can take the form of the following types of participation:

Workshops (3 or 6 hours): Workshops should be hands on, participatory sessions that will allow participants to learn about some aspect of teaching and learning research by doing.

Long Papers (50 minutes): Long papers are interactive presentations of original research about teaching and learning in higher education. In addition to presenting findings, session leaders should plan to make use of strategies that will engage attendees actively in the material.

Short Papers (20 minutes): Short papers provide an opportunity to communicate research results (or related material) in a more condensed fashion. While these sessions may be akin to traditional conference papers, presenters are encouraged to include interactive components wherever possible.

Poster Presentations: Posters allow participants to present research ideas and/or findings in an informal context that facilitates one-to-one discussion and exchange with other conference attendees.

The SRHE Annual Research Conference is planned as a participative event at which delegates presenting their own work will also participate in the discussions in plenary sessions and the presentations of the work of others. The Conference programme is planned on the basis that delegates will attend the whole event over the three days.

International Conference on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (TLHE) 2011

Topics: Diversity and multiculturalism on campus—opportunities and challenges for teaching and learning Gen Y learners or ‘digital natives’: What to teach; how to teach; what to learn; how to learn Innovative student engagement methods Student-centric teaching and learning strategies and approaches Sustainability and quality assurance issues in tertiary education Technology-assisted education for Gen Y learners and the 21st Century classroom Towards advanced personalized learning: A grand challenge for 21st Century education Undergraduate and postgraduate student experience in the university

The main speaker for this event is Professor Tom Schuller. Professor Schuller is Director of Longview, a 'think-tank' promoting longitudinal and lifecourse research, and a consultant on social and educational research. From 2008-2010 Tom directed the independent Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning, sponsored by the UK’s National Institute of Adult Continuing Education. With Sir David Watson, he co-published the Inquiry’s main report, Learning Through Life, in September 2009 to a warm reception from researchers and from all political parties. From 2003-2008 he was Head of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) at OECD, with responsibility for CERI’s projects relating to some 30 countries. Before that Tom was Dean of the Faculty of Continuing Education and Professor of Lifelong Learning at Birkbeck, University of London; and co-director of the Research Centre on the Wider Benefits of Learning. He chairs the Governing Board of the Working Men’s College in London, Europe’s oldest adult education institute. He is a Visiting Professor at Birkbeck College, University of London and the Institute of Education; a Senior Research Fellow with the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education; Research Associate with SKOPE (University of Oxford); and a Visiting Research Fellow with the UK Commission on Employment and Skills.ABSTRACTAlmost all OECD countries have ageing populations. This has major implications for education and lifelong learning, some of which are more obvious than others. Professor Schuller will argue that the implications are not only to do with how to cater for the learning needs of older people. We need a fresh look at the lifecourse as a whole, and the relationships between age groups and generations. We also need to take more seriously the research challenges - and opportunities - posed by such a fresh look.

The lecture will be introduced by Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU with expert panellists including Professor Brendan Whelan, Research Advisor, the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and previously Research Professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

There is no fee for attendance, but booking is required as places are limited to facilitate discussion. A light lunch will be provided. Please confirm your attendance for this event by registering at the following pagehttp://www4.dcu.ie/ovpli/herc/tom_schuller_register.shtml

HIGHER EDUCATION IN CHALLENGING TIMES: QUESTIONING THE UNQUESTIONED is a lecture series organised by the Higher Education Research Centre (HERC) at DCU and co-sponsored by the Dublin Region Higher Education Alliance (DRHEA) and the Higher Education Authority. For further information and seminar updates please visit our website: www.dcu.ie/ovpli/HERC

External

28 November, 2011

3rd International Research Symposium: Problem-based Learning 2011

This will be the third in the successful series of International Research Symposia on PBL. The first took place at Aalborg University in June 2008, and the second at Victoria University, Melbourne in December 2009.

The 3rd International Research Symposium on PBL at Coventry University aims to bring together researchers studying all aspects of the learning process in problem based and project based learning, and those involved in the implementation of these approaches across the disciplines.

ARDE Focus Group: Assuring and enhancing quality in supervision

The relationship between supervisior and supervisee remains at the heart of doctoral education. As institutions take greater responsibility, they need to ensure that this crucial element of doctoral supervision is of a high standard. In order to do this, discussion is required on what is seen in the institution as good supervision, how to produce good guidelines and how to resolve problems quickly and efficiently. What is the role of supervisory teams or mentors? How can supervision be monitored, and how can rules and incentives be used to develop a sound 'culture of supervision'?

External

17 November, 2011

Quality and Trust: at the heart of what we do

The European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) provides a unique platform for the higher education and QA communities to monitor, shape and anticipate developments in the area. The main purpose of the event is to foster a dialogue on quality assurance that bridges national boundaries and leads to a truly European discussion on QA in higher education, and to create a common European understanding of QA through a dialogue among different stakeholder groups.

Through a mix of plenary and parallel sessions, the 2011 Forum, entitled “Quality and trust: at the heart of what we do”, will combine practice-oriented discussions that will take place in the paper sessions and workshops with presentations of current policy developments in QA. Forum participants usually consider this event as an opportunity for professional development and updating their knowledge.

Following the success of the previous European Quality Assurance Forums, the sixth forum, co-organised by ENQA, ESU, EUA and EURASHE, will take place in Antwerp, Belgium on 17-19 November 2011, and is hosted by the University of Antwerp and Artesis University College.

External

14 November, 2011

International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation

ICERI2011 will be an International Forum for those who wish to present their projects and innovations, having also the opportunity to discuss the main aspects and the latest results in the field of Education and Research.

The general aim of the conference is to promote international collaboration in Education and Research in all educational fields and disciplines. The attendance of more than 700 delegates from 70 different countries is expected.

External

9 November, 2011

HEANET 2011: Service Innovation and Collboration for Challenging Times

Featured topics will include emergent cloud services, and the spotlight will be on "Service Innovation and Collaboration for Challenging Times."

We are putting together a strong and varied programme of speakers and topics, featuring a key note from Lord David Puttnam (Member of the House of Lords, Chancellor of The Open University, Advisor to UK and Irish Governments, and an award winning film producer)

NAIRTL

7 November, 2011

National Awards for Excellence in Teaching 2011

Winners of the 2011 National Awards for Excellence in Teaching will be announced at a ceremony in the Clock Tower, Marlborough Street on Monday 7th November 2011. Full biographical details of the Award winners are available here.

Location Clock Tower, Department of Education and Skills, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1. The Clock Tower is located opposite St Mary's Pro-Cathedral which is also on Marlborough Street.

ParkingPaid parking is available in Q-Park Clearys which is on the corner of Marlborough Street and Cathal Brugha Street. Other parking options are also listed on this website.

Image Gallery

Click on an image to view a larger version.

NAIRTL

27 October, 2011

Symposium on Threshold Concepts

An interim symposium on Threshold Concepts was held in Cork on October 27th 2011 to stimulate discussion in advance of the 2012 International Threshold Concepts Conference. The Symposium consisted of a half day of presentations and workshop, the objective of which was to support participants to think about teaching threshold concepts within their own disciplines, and to assist those who are considering presenting at the 2012 Conference.

The Symposium featured presentations from members of the Steering Committee of the International Threshold Concepts Conference which will take place in Dublin, 27-29 June 2012. The 2012 Conference is an international event and we expect significant participation from Australia, North America, Europe and beyond and wish to support a substantial input from an Irish cohort.

We extend this invitation to all staff working in Higher Education in Ireland. Please register to attend this Symposium on form below. Further details of the International conference are available at www.nairtl.ie/conference2012.

The Learning Innovation Network's 4th Annual Conference takes place in DIT Bolton St on 27 October 2011. The conference theme is Enhancing the Learning Experience: Learn-ing for an Unknown Future (Barnett, 2004) and there are three sub themes:- The first year experience- Diversity of the learner experience- Staff development for learning / Innovation in teaching and learning

The conference will have a keynote speaker and then papers. Each paper session is 15 minutes long with 5 minutes for questions. Posters will be displayed and are to be A1 size.

Call for abstracts (download pdf)We are seeking 300 word abstracts by June 30th on the theme or sub-theme of the conference for either papers or posters. We are particularly interested in papers that reflect practice and issues of the Institutes of Technology/DIT in relation to the themes.

External

20 October, 2011

ISSOTL 2011

Transforming the Academy through the Theory and Practice of SOTL

We cordially invite you to join us at the 8th annual International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference, which will convene in the beautifully scenic, academically rich, and culturally diverse city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA) on October 20-23, 2011. International scholars, researchers, and educators will come together to share recent work and discuss how our collective efforts will impact the future of higher education.

External

18 October, 2011

EDUCAUSE 2011

Be part of this important community gathering. At EDUCAUSE 2011 you will:

Network. Engage with peers who share similar interests and challenges.

Focus. Sort the program by topical themes and domains, speakers, and relevant interest areas to find exactly what you need.

Discover. Engage in affinity group sessions, special topic discussion sessions, and lightning rounds.

Inspire. Be inspired by forward-thinking speakers who challenge you to look to the future.

Regardless of whether you attend in person or online, both dynamic venues will give you practical takeaways, help you develop beneficial relationships, and advance your professional knowledge and skills.

University College Cork

3 October, 2011

When Students Lack Academic English: Adaptive Teaching

This lunchtime session by Dr Kay Dennis, Park University, will examine how staff can support the needs of non-native (or non-standard) English speakers in the classroom. The question is posed as part of an international project on the topic.

Dr Kay Dennis is an Assistant Professor of Adult Education and Online Learning at Park University, USA. Park University has an extensive online degree programme and is unique in having forty one campus centres dotted across twenty one states. Dr Dennis' research interests include student motivation and engagement in the online classroom, and continuing professional development for online faculty.

External

3 October, 2011

Science Shop Autumn School

European funding allows the Living Knowledge Network to offer a free 'Autumn School' to all those interested in operating a Science Shop, or Community-Based Research Office. It will take place in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th of October, 2011, for two full days. Participation is free; however, you do need to cover your own travel and stay. Language: English. If you are interested let us know before June 20 (please reply to h.a.j.mulder@rug.nl and not to all on this mailing list). Places are limited, but we will set up a waiting list if necessary. Before June 30 we'll give you the details of the location and let you know whether you can attend, so you can look for funds if required and book your trip.

This workshop will be given by science shop coordinators with a long experience, from The Netherlands and Germany; additional presentations and discussions are possible with coordinators from other countries during the last part of the 'School'.

Science Shops provide independent, participatory research support in response to concerns expressed by civil society groups. In their interactive science communication, they cover all academic and engineering disciplines, so 'science' should be taken in its broadest meaning. They are also not 'shops' in the traditional sense of the word. Science Shops are small entities that carry out research in a wide range of disciplines - usually free of charge - on behalf of (or with) citizens and civil society organisations. That Science Shops respond to civil society's needs for expertise and knowledge is a key element that distinguishes them from other knowledge transfer mechanisms.

Science Shops are often linked to universities, so that students can conduct research as part of their curriculum with no additional costs to partners. Others, however, are not linked to a University and operate as independent entities.

The Autumn School is relevant to those who would like to structure and embed community-university engagement more broadly in their local (or regional) context, or set up any form of co-operation in research with civil-society organisations. The workshop will be in the form of an interactive class. We will discuss operational options and good practices, but also challenges in running a Science Shop. We will talk about the history of Science Shops, about working with students in the curriculum, about working with researchers and working with civil society organisations. We will show how an office of a Science Shop can be organised (at university, faculty, or as independent organisation). We will elaborate on the 10 steps in the mediation process --the daily work at a Science Shop-- and will explain and exercise with you how projects are set-up. We will also elaborate on funding options and partners to involve in setting up a Science Shop.

There are many differences in the way science shops are organised and operate, as well as some important parallels. With the participants we will discuss the possibilities to best adapt good practices to their own local context. We will not present just one blueprint, because that does not exist. Thus, we hope for an active contribution of all participants. The Autumn School addresses university leaders, research managers, professors/teachers, science policy makers, scientists, science communicators, community leaders, NGO representatives, graduate students, PhD students, and others who are interested in setting up a Science Shop or starting Community- Based Research projects.

Higher Education in Challenging Times: Questioning the Unquestioned

Governing higher education: the limits of public regulation and institutional autonomy in a connected worldThe main speaker for this event is Professor Dirk Van Damme. Professor Van Damme is currently Head of CERI (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation) in the Directorate for Education at the OECD in Paris, where he is also responsible for the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). He holds a PhD degree in educational sciences from Ghent University and has been professor of educational sciences in the same university (since 1995).

He has been professionally involved in educational policy development as deputy director of the cabinet of the Flemish Minister of education Luc Van den Bossche (1992-1998), as general director of the Flemish rectors’ conference VLIR(2000-2003), as expert for the implementation of the Bologna Declaration for Ms Marleen Vanderpoorten, Flemish Minister of education (2002-2003) and as director of the cabinet of Mr Frank Vandenbroucke, Flemish minister of education (2004-2008). In 2004 he served also as executive director of the RAGO, the organization of public schools in the Flemish Community of Belgium. His current interests are innovation in education, comparative analyses of educational systems, new developments in the learning sciences and knowledge management in education.

Professor Van Damme will speak on the topic 'Governing higher education: the limits of public regulation and institutional autonomy in a connected world'. The lecture will be introduced by Professor Brian MacCraith, President of DCU. It will be followed by an open discussion chaired by Professor Maria Slowey, Director of Higher Education Research and Development, DCU, with participants and panellists Tom Boland, Chief Executive, Higher Education Authority and Professor Shirley Walters, Director of the Division for Lifelong Learning, University of Western Cape, South Africa and former Chair of the South African Qualifications Authority.

There is no fee for attendance for this event, but booking is required as places are limited to facilitate discussion. A light lunch will be provided. Please confirm your attendance for this event by registering at the following page www.dcu.ie/ovpli/HERC/vanDamme_register.shtml

Higher Education in Challenging Times: Questioning the Unquestioned is a lecture series organised by the Higher Education Research Centre (HERC) at DCU and co-sponsored by the Dublin Region Higher Education Alliance(DRHEA) and the Higher Education Authority. For further information and seminar updates please visit our website: www.dcu.ie/ovpli/HERC

What should the role of universities and colleges be? Do they have an obligation to students? Are research universities failing undergraduate students? Join us to explore differentiation of mission in Toronto this fall!

External

21 September, 2011

Graduate Business & Innovation Workshop

The ICGEE & INSPIRE consortia are delighted to announce a two day workshop on Business and Innovation.

The workshop will take place on September 21-22, 2011 at the Irish Management institute (IMI) in Dublin. The theme of the workshop will be Turning your bright ideas into revenue and jobs aimed at science and engineering graduate students.

Our objective for the workshop is to encourage a culture of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship amongst our technology-focused PhD scholars and to infuse a can-do attitude in turning their bright ideas into revenue and sustainable jobs for the Irish economy.

We have an international panel of speakers from business and academia that will share their experiences and hopefully provide perspectives on emerging trends or challenges and opportunities in Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The workshop is free to attend and limited financial assistance covering train fare and accommodation is available to students travelling to Dublin for the event.

External

21 September, 2011

Transition or Transaction: Moving from Second to Third-level Education in Ireland

This conference is a joint initiative of the Higher Education Authority and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The conference will focus on the interface between second and third level education, the readiness of those leaving second level for the demands of third level, and the effect of 'points' on both systems.

Global Challenges for Education: Economics, Environment and Emergency

Given the spate of recent challenges including global recession, climate change, conflict and emergency, the 11th UKFIET International Conference on Education and Development invites delegates invites delegates to examine these challenges from educational perspectives. We welcome ideas, accounts of experience and new thinking from policy-makers, teachers, researchers, managers and advisers. Education is insufficiently central to the debate on global challenges in the 21st century. Its voice must be heard.

Keynote speakers include the following:Birgit Brock-UtneProfessor of Education and Development at the University of Oslo, Norway, and current President of the British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE)

Calestous JumaProfessor of the Practice of International Development, and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at Harvard University, USA

Linda Tuhiwai Smith Professor of Education and Māori Development, and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Māori) at the University of Waikato, New Zealand

External

6 September, 2011

ALTC-2011: Thriving in a colder and more challenging climate

In 2011, education systems throughout the world are attempting to do more, better, and often with less. As the political, economic, social, agency and technological landscapes change, it is tempting for people in the learning technology community simply to "go on with vigour, hoping for the best"*. But this would be to miss a major opportunity.

Innovation is strongly stimulated by crises and pressures of all kinds. Our challenges are to:

* analyse and plan, and create and marshal evidence; * demonstrate the benefits of astute deployment of technology to support learning; * listen to and involve learners, teachers, and institutional leaders; * draw on know-how and practice internationally, from across and outside our individual fields; * take an institutional approach, whilst focusing on openness and frugality.

Time, the social tide, the expectations of learners, and economic pressure at organisational level will themselves be a driving force for innovation. The scope for people in our community to make a difference is great.

* "We have nothing for it but to go on with vigour and to hope for the best" - Pitt the Younger, 1791, speaking about the disruptive effects of the French Revolution on trade and on the British position generally.

External

31 August, 2011

The Engaged University: Shaping Inclusive and Responsive University Strategies

The conference follows up the 2008 European Universities’ Charter on Lifelong Learning. It is based on the results of the EC-funded project “Shaping Inclusive and Responsive University Strategies – SIRUS”, a project that brought together 29 universities from 18 European countries, over the last two years, to develop, enhance and compare institutional lifelong learning strategies. It has been organised by EUA, in cooperation with the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU), the European University Continuing Education Network (EUCEN) and the European Access Network (EAN).

The conference will present and discuss the new strategic orientation of Europe’s higher education via the concept of an engaged university: a university that does not only respond to societal needs, but positions itself to build cooperation and partnerships in a proactive and agenda-setting manner.

The conference seeks to attract all those who in are charge of strategic decision making in higher education learning and teaching, institutional senior lifelong learning practitioners, policy makers, representatives of national and local governments, and public and private employers who have an interest in promoting the LLL agenda.

External

25 August, 2011

eAssessment Scotland

This is the largest UK conference about exploring the benefits of technology-enhanced assessment. This year's theme is 'Authentic Assessment': can we improve the experience of learners by creating measures of skills and knowledge that more closely mirror what happens in the real world?

External

31 July, 2011

International Council for Innovation in Higher Education

The objectives of this conference are:

To strengthen the relationship between educational administrators, researchers, and administrative decision makers and others who share a common interest and responsibility for promoting higher education;

To keep abreast of the latest developments in research and theory and in their application;

To provide the basis for publications based on conference proceedings, which highlight the most significant developments;

To increase communication and strengthen the support network for those at work in these areas.

External

25 July, 2011

Campus Technology 2011

The Campus Technology annual summer conference is the nation’s premier higher education technology conference, where leading innovators and experts in technology for higher education guide faculty, instructional designers, eLearning program managers, information technologists, and campus administrators into the new realm of teaching and learning using the latest in applications, social software and immersive platforms.

External

11 July, 2011

Next Steps: Building a New Engagement Agenda

The 8th annual AUCEA international conference will be held in Sydney, Australia from 11 – 13 July, and the conference sub-themes are: Leadership, Research, Learning, and Partnerships.

The conference planning and venue selection is well underway and we’ll be providing information regarding, keynote speakers, presentations, workshops and other activities as they are confirmed.

External

6 July, 2011

Education in a Changing Environment: Creativity and Engagement in Higher Education

The University of Salford’s 6th Education in a Changing Environment Conference, Creativity and Engagement in Higher Education, will explore and discuss international best practice in teaching and educational research in higher education. Through themes of Social Media; Learning, Teaching and Assessment; Networking and Partnerships, the Conference will identify creative models for engagement in a shifting educational landscape.

Keynote speakersAlec Couros, Professor of educational technology and media, Faculty of Education, University of Regina, CanadaGlynis Cousin, Professor of Higher Education, University of WolverhamptonNorman Jackson, Professor of Higher Education, University of SurreySaul Nassé, Controller of BBC Learning

External

5 July, 2011

Higher Education Academy Annual conference 2011

The Academy supports the sector in providing the best possible learning experience for all students. Uniquely we provide national leadership in developing and disseminating evidence informed practice about enhancing the student learning experience; operate as an independent broker enabling expertise to be shared across institutions and subject areas; work at multiple levels with individual academics, subject communities, departments, faculties and institutions; and we work across the four nations recognizing the distinctive policy contexts and priorities but also providing opportunities to share expertise among them.

University of Dublin, Trinity College

1 July, 2011

Innovation Ecosystems; a critical component of Irish Higher Education in the 21st century

This one day international symposium brings together some of the world’s leading thinkers on innovation and creativity both within education and outside.

Dublin City University

28 June, 2011

DIVERSE 2011

The DIVERSE Conference is an annual gathering of academics, teachers, technologists and students. Participants engage in an ongoing dialogue around effective uses of visual media in Education.

Reimagining Democratic Societies; A New Era of Personal and Social Responsibility?

This conference is part of the cooperation between different partners committed to promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law as well as social cohesion and intercultural dialogue, and their belief in the key role of education in furthering these goals. The conference will also be a part of the events marking the 200th anniversary of the University of Oslo.

Aims and objectives:· To strengthen the role of higher education in furthering democratic citizenship· To identify concretely the role that higher education can play in reimagining democratic societies· To stress the importance of the involvement of the different stakeholders: academic, administrations, students, local communities etc· To develop further strategies to strengthen this role

Institute of Technology Tallaght

26 June, 2011

18th International Conference of Adult Learning Mathematics (ALM)

‘Mathematical Eyes: A Bridge between Adults, the World and Mathematics’ The organisers particularly welcome contributions from members and non-members. Participants are encouraged to use mathematical eyes to highlight current issues, opportunities and challenges for adults learning mathematics in: • the work environment • all levels of education • improving public awareness and communication • supporting active citizenship

Sunday evening 26th June – Wednesday (lunchtime) 29th June 2011

In addition ALM’s collaboration with the National Adult Literacy Agency gives participants and contributors a special opportunity to explore the important and enduring relationship between literacy and numeracy and what it means for adult mathematics education.

Deadlines for inclusion of conference contributions in the published conference proceedings will be available from March 2011.

External

23 June, 2011

CHER 2011

What are the prospects for higher education in the 21st century? Ideas, research and policy

The 24th annual CHER (Consortium of Higher Education Researchers) conference examines what ideas, commentary, guidance or considerations does research into the operation and development of European Institutions provide in relation to the changing role of Universities.

How to register If you register for the conference before 23 May you will be eligible for a early bird rate of €50.

To book this event contact Caitriona Geraghty on +353 1 6651307 or email cgeraghty@engineersireland.ie

Dublin Institute of Technology

20 June, 2011

eLearning Summer School: Challenging the 21st Century Learner

The 2011 Summer school is comprised of sessions covering everything from "Teaching in an Online Environment" (Michael Hallissy, Hibernia College) and eLearning and the Hunt Report (Richard Thorn, Director of Flexible Learning, IoTI) to Facebook in Education, iPads and a link-up with the European Distance and E-Learning Network Conference. The week-long series of talks and workshops gives academic staff an opportunity to discuss issues relating to eLearning in their work and to exchange ideas with like-minded individuals.

Internationalisation of Pedagogy and Curriculum in Higher Education: Exploring New Frontiers

The increasing internationalisation of universities around the world provides both opportunities and challenges, in what are sometimes radically different teaching, learning and assessment contexts for both home and international students as well as staff. This international conference seeks to move beyond the rhetoric of internationalisation to examine some of the more complex issues and questions for practitioners, researchers, students and for those working in transnational or non-Anglophone contexts.

The global drive towards international student recruitment represents a 'new frontier' which is altering the demographic within cohorts, disciplines, across campuses and the local communities in which universities operate. These shifts provide opportunities for new ways of working for all stakeholders in higher education.

This international conference is aimed at exploring new and emerging thinking, practice and research in these areas and invites practitioners and researchers working in more internationalised higher education contexts around the world to consider and debate some of the following issues:

What are the challenges and opportunities for universities, teachers and students of increased student mobility (both inbound and outbound)?

How can we use the diversity of student and staff perspectives and experiences for more internationalised learning for all?

How can these shifts shape imaginative and creative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, curriculum and programme design and delivery, research paradigms and epistemologies, interactions and transnational partnerships?

How can these inform more complex issues such as global citizenship and intercultural learning, and foster respectful dialogue between and among diverse cultures and knowledge traditions on university campuses and across the communities in which they exist? Is ‘internationalisation’ an exclusively Western (or ‘Westernising’) notion or are there other cultural academic paradigms or perspectives that can inform a wider debate?

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design & Technology

13 June, 2011

Cyberpsychology Summer School

Virtual Immersive and Cyber Technologies Summer School 2011 CCTA is delighted to announce Virtual Immersive and Cyber Technologies - First Summer School on using the Internet for Behavioural Research. The Summer School has been funded under the IRCHSS 2010 Research Development Initiative Strand 3 - Summer School.

The Summer School is aimed at any students and staff in third level and it is free to attend for students and there is a €100 euros for others. This price includes fours and a half days of talks and workshops by international keynotes, as well lunch and a dinner.

The Summer School runs in IADT from 13-17 June 2011. For further information and to be put on the Summer School mailing list please email Hannah Barton hannah.barton@iadt.ie.

Dublin City University

10 June, 2011

Interdisciplinary experiences - collaborations and collisions

This symposium will explore incentives and inhibitions to collaborations in higher education and research between the natural sciences and engineering, on the one hand, and social sciences and humanities, on the other. A point of departure for this exploration is that many of the most pressing social issues and most engaging intellectual issues have a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary aspect.

The keynote speaker, Prof Brian Wynne (Lancaster University) is a pioneer in social studies of science with a long record of research and publication on issues in science governance. His most recent work has focused on social issues in biotechnology and genetics.

11.30 – 1.00 Synergies between disciplines Pat Brereton (DCU School of Communications, Ass. Dean of Research Faculty of Humanities a& Social Sciences) and Stephen Daniels (DCU School of Elec. Eng):New research approaches for sustainability Enrico Marsili (DCU School of Biotechnology) and Padraig Murphy (DCU School ofCommunications): A dialogical life cycle approach for nanotechnology? Siobhan O’Sullivan (former sci director, Irish Council for Bioethics, and member, European Group on Ethics in Science & New Technologies): Research ethics and bioethics- where disciplines meet Chair: Juliana Adelman, TCD

Action Research Colloquium

Waterford Institute of Technology is pleased to announce the first Action Research Colloquium to be held at the Institute on the 9th and 10th June 2011. This interdisciplinary event, supported by the Department of Graduate Business and the Department of Nursing, will bring together researchers interested in exploring the range of action research experiences and their challenges, and will contribute to building a supportive community of practice in this area. The Colloquium will provide an opportunity for researchers to present their work and to engage with critical issues emerging in the field.

The conference will have contributions from leading experts in action research, including:

Editor-in-chief of the Action Research journal and co-editor of Handbook of Action Research.

Prof David Coghlan, Trinity College Dublin. Author of several books and articles in insider action research.

If you are a researcher undertaking action research, a supervisor of students engaging in action research or a participant in an action research project, then this conference offers an opportunity to share your experiences and engage with others in the action research domain.

For more information and to register for the event, please visit the Action Research Colloquium web site www.wit.ie/actionresearch

*Mac users should open the above pdfs in Adobe Reader rather than Preview

CertificatesCertificates of attendance are available for all conference attendees. Please open this pdf and scroll to your own name.

Details on the conferenceThis international conference was comprised of short papers (15 min), Pecha-Kucha* style presentations, workshops, panel discussions and posters on the following themes:

students as co-creators of knowledge

civic engagement and social responsibility

the first year experience

engaging large classes

technology enhanced learning

*In this format the presenter has twenty slides to show, with 20 seconds per slide, before the next presenter takes the stage.

Conference presentationsPlease see the 2011 Conference Proceedings for conference presentations and related resources. A selection of the keynote speakers talks can be viewed here.

Dublin City University

7 June, 2011

Realising Bologna: Implications for Policy and Practice

Realising Bologna is a 2 day international symposium focused on institutions’ experience of implementing curriculum reform in the context of the Bologna Agreement.

This symposium will be of interest to those who have played key roles in the process of Bologna alignment in their institution. Participants are invited to attend with a view to engaging in discussions about the challenges, opportunities and outstanding issues associated with our experience of becoming Bologna compliant.

Realising Bologna is designed to be highly interactive with a mix of key note input and parallel focused discussions addressing topics such as:

quality assurance and learning outcomes

national/regional collaborative strategies

approaches to curriculum reforms

challenges wrt discipline-specific learning outcomes

maintaining programme/institutional distinctiveness?

learning outcomes, assessment and grading schemes

This symposium is organised by Dublin City University in association with the Dublin Region Higher Education Alliance (DRHEA), a SIF II funded consortium of the four universities (DCU, NUIM, TCD and UCD) and the four institutes of technology (DIT, IADT, ITB and ITTD) in the greater Dublin region.

Information on registration, programme, and keynotes will be available here.

Waterford Institute of Technology

1 June, 2011

EdTech 2011

The 12th Annual ILTA Conference will offer a dynamic programme of events, along with plenty of opportunity for informal networking and discussion. The programme will include practitioner and research papers, demonstration and workshop sessions, short presentations and ideas exchange fora, Technology in Action showcases illustrating industry and education teamwork, and interactive poster presentations.

Keynote presenters include:Finbarr Bradley Finbarr is an educator who designs and manages dynamic learning communities at a number of private and public organisations. He is a former professor at DCU, NUI Maynooth and UCD, and is co-author of 'Capitalising on Culture, Competing on Difference: Innovation, Learning and Sense of Place in a Globalising Ireland'.http://www.intinn.ie

Karlin Lillington Karlin is a leading technology journalist and columnist for the Irish Times. She has appeared on a number of radio and television channels, and has written extensively for the Guardian’s technology section, Wired News, the Sunday Times , New Scientist and eCompany/Business 2.0 amongst others. Karlin has interviewed many intriguing figures in the technology industry, as well as researchers and innovators for various companies, institutes and universities, many of which can be found on her blog:http://www.techno-culture.com/

Ewan McIntosh Ewan is regarded as a leading expert in digital media for public services. His company, NoTosh Limited, invests in tech start-ups and film on behalf of public and private investors, works with those companies to build their creative businesses, and takes the lessons learnt from the way these people work back into schools and universities across the world. http://www.edu.blogs.com/

External

30 May, 2011

CSSHE 2011: Coasts and Continents: Exploring Peoples and Places

Organized by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Congress brings together thousands of scholars, students, practitioners and policy makers in a different city each year to share ideas, discuss today’s complex issues and enrich their research. They gather under the aegis of more than 70 associations representing a rich spectrum of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. From theatre, literature and education to history, sociology and international development, Congress represents a unique showcase of scholarly excellence, creativity, and leadership.

UNESCO-CEPES: Eurasian Inter-University Dialogues on Cooperation for Higher Education Development

An international conference on "Eurasian Inter-University Dialogues on Cooperation for Higher Education Development” will be held in Bucharest, Romania at the end of May 2011 with the aim of bringing together voices from both regions and initiating inter-sectoral dialogues on the social sciences, cultural rapprochement and the role that higher education institutions in both regions must play in sustaining and promoting knowledge sharing and ooperation at all levels.

The proceedings of the conference including papers and a set of recommendations will be published in the UNESCOCEPES series “Higher Education for a Knowledge Society”.

Main themes of the conference:Theme I - The Importance of Improved Intercultural UnderstandingTheme II - The Influence and Impact of Culture(s) on PoliticsTheme III – The Influence and Impact of Culture(s) on Economies and Economic Relationships

2011 Global Forum on Cross-Border Higher Education

The 2011 Global Forum on Cross-Border Higher Education is set to bring together global leaders from higher education, government, and business to engage in strategic policy discussions about the major issues, policies, and practices facing borderless higher education.

The theme for the 2011 Global Forum, ‘Levelling the International Playing Field: A New Global Regionalism for Sustainable Partnerships, Student Mobility and Open and Distance Learning’, will address various dimensions of cross-border higher education and the political, cultural, social, economic and educational impacts on the host country and region.

The 2011 Global Forum will examine four primary subthemes that are transforming borderless higher education.These include:

A. New Global RegionalismThe emergence of regional higher education networks for building partnerships, facilitating interregional student mobility, and fostering greater awareness and connections of common cultural, social, language, and heritage across the region.

B. The Student ExperienceThe services that enhance the holistic student experience for international students and successful models for providing these services. How are issues of culture, language and social 'norms' of international students addressed in curriculum and assessment?

C. Open and Distance LearningGlobal applications of open and distance learning systems in borderless higher education at the regional and global levels. Moreover, the use of ODL delivery systems to provide HE access to underserved student populations, working adults, and geographically isolated rural communities and cultures.

D. International Quality AssuranceThe shifting and changing landscape of quality assurance and assessment models for ensuring quality in borderless higher education programmes. Will the challenging fiscal environment for higher education be a catalyst for more diploma mill providers and low-quality providers attempting to take advantage of this depressed market?

External

24 May, 2011

The Art of Being Still: Mindfulness and Young People

Young people of today face lots challenges many of which are unavoidable. There are the minor challenges associated with the journey from childhood into adulthood like self -image, trying to fit in and friendships.

There are also the major challenges of broken families, abusive relationships, unplanned pregnancies, murder and suicide, to name but a few. Alongside or paralleling these phenomena is the issue of young people seen to be ‘at risk’ or ‘disengaged’. The issue of ‘status’, if you are living in poverty; The issue of ‘inclusion’, if you are seen to be different.

Mindfulness gives young people the tools to cope these challenges in a healthy way, as our conference presentations will demonstrate.

SpeakersSister Stanislaus Kennedy usually called Sister Stan, is a member of the Religious Sisters of Charity. She founded the Sanctuary in 1998, a meditation centre in the heart of Dublin city.

Susan Bögels is professor of Developmental Psychopathology at the University of Amsterdam. She is a trained psychotherapist, specialised in cognitive behaviour therapy for adults, children and families, and in mindfulness. She is the initiator and director of the Academised Treatment Centre for Parents and Children, UvA-Virenze, in Amsterdam. Mindfulness training for families with parenting issues, and for parental and child psychopathology, is an important treatment focus in this centre, next to cognitive behaviour therapy. Her research is concerned with the intergenerational transmission of anxiety disorders, with a special focus on the role of the father. This research is fundamental, studying the development of babies in interaction with their parents, as well as applied, focusing on parents' role in the prevention and treatment of child anxiety disorder. She has received several grants for her fundamental and clinical research, including a VIDI and VICI grant for excellent innovative research, concerning her model on the role of the father in child anxiety. She is a member of the DSM-V workgroup on anxiety disorders. She also studies the effects of mindfulness training for children and their parents, in clinical as well as school contexts, with her research group. She has published papers on mindfulness for children and adolescents with ADHD and other externalising problems, and on mindful parenting. She is now, together with Kathleen Restifo, working on a book on Mindful Parenting, which will come out this year.

Richard Burnett is teacher and Housemaster at Tonbridge School in the UK. He is co-founder of the Mindfulness in Schools Project (MiSP) a non-profit organisation aiming to encourage, support and research the teaching of secular mindfulness in schools. Tonbridge was one of the first UK schools to include mindfulness in its curriculum for 13-14 year olds and this has attracted widespread academic and media interest. In 2008 Richard worked with Prof. Huppert of Cambridge University's Wellbeing Institute on a pilot study to research the effectiveness of mindfulness training in schools, the results of which were published in the Journal of Positive Psychology. In 2009 he wrote his MA dissertation on the subject: Mindfulness in Schools: Learning Lessons from the Adults. MiSP runs induction days and teacher training courses for those wishing to bring mindfulness into their schools: For more information see www.mindfulnessinschools.org

External

18 May, 2011

Institutional Approaches to Engaging PI's and Supervisors

The Vitae Midlands Hub is organising an afternoon workshop on Institutional Approaches to Engaging PI's and Supervisors. The workshop will be held at The University of Warwick on May the 18th. The session will focus on any issues currently being faced in engaging PIs and Supervisors. Participants will be encouraged to talk candidly about their experiences of working with supervisors and PIs and share materials and resources. There will be an opportunity to share information about resources from national organisations, other universities and the Vitae website. The introduction of the RDF and RDS will also be discussed with emphasis on how this can improve communication with PI’s and supervisors.

National University of Ireland, Galway

11 May, 2011

Launch of We Volunteer!

To celebrate the European Year of Volunteering 2011 and to recognise the tremendous contribution which student volunteers make to the lives of their communities, third level institutions from across the island of Ireland have come together to develop www.wevolunteer.ie a mobile and virtual photographic exhibition of student volunteering.

The extent and diversity of student volunteering is phenomenal. This exhibition showcases the work of students from over twenty Higher Education Institutions across Ireland with diverse organisations and activities. “We Volunteer!” is sponsored by the HEA funded, Campus Engage, the national network for the promotion of civic engagement in Irish higher education.

Student volunteers are welcome to post up their volunteering story at www.wevolunteer.ie building further acknowledgment of the value which student volunteers bring to their communities and inspire others to take up the challenge during the European Year of Volunteering 2011. Add your volunteer story today and help reach the target of 365 student volunteer stories – one story a day for EYV 2011!

External

5 May, 2011

Incorporating Personal Development Planning and e-portfolio use into curriculum design

A regional workshop programme delivered by the Centre for Recording Achievement with support from the Higher Education Academy.

Thursday 28th April Birmingham City University

Thursday 5th May 2011 Liverpool John Moores University

Tuesday 24th May 2011 Bath Spa University

These practical workshops will consider:

Why PDP matters even more in the post-Browne world.

What’s already there in the curriculum?

How we design new practice in – to curriculum units, to longer elements, to the achievement of overall curriculum outcomes.

How we ensure such practice – and the outcomes of such practice – become explicit to students and can be used by them in relation to further learning and progression.

And enable those attending to initiate a curriculum (re)design task that can be subsequently submitted and shared with all contributors.

External

20 April, 2011

2nd International Conference on Professional Doctorates

The next International Conference on Professional Doctorates (ICPD-2) will be held at the University of Edinburgh in the new John McIntyre Conference Centre. Following the successful Inaugural Conference, which attracted a capacity audience in London in November 2009 (for a full summary of ICPD-1, please click here), ICPD-2 will feature Plenary Speakers internationally renowned for their work in doctoral education. The Plenary Speakers will present papers on the following overall themes

Professor Bridget O’Connor, New York University, USA- Professional Doctorate Education and USA Perspectives

Dr Andreas Frijdal, European University Institute, Florence, Italy- European Perspectives on the Doctorate

Professor Tom Maxwell, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia- The Professional Doctorate – Generational Change

Professor John Taylor, University of Liverpool Management School, UK- Doctorateness and the Professional Doctorate

Themes and Topics

The Conference themes and topics for submitted papers will cover all aspects of Professional and Practice-based Doctorates – including:

International perspectives on developments in the Professional Doctorate in North America, Australia and Europe

Employer/community expectations of the Professional Doctorate

Philosophical and educational developments in the pedagogy of the Professional and Practice-based Doctorates

Approaches to doctoral training & professional development

Practical experience in the delivery of Professional Doctorates

Special issues relating to Practice-based Doctorates

Sustainability issues of different models of Professional Doctorate

Comparison of Professional Doctorates in various professional arenas

Strategies for effective formal and informal assessment

Critical reflective practice and the accreditation of experiential learning

Quality assurance and quality enhancement issues

Validation issues and audit practices

Ongoing or completed case studies of research projects / theses of Doctoral Students

ICPD-2 will embrace innovative strategies for higher education, professional associations, industry, public service, NGOs and other stakeholders, to create new opportunities for personal development of the 21st century professional in and for the workplace.

ICPD-2 will include a number of formats – based on Plenary and regular Lectures, Round-Table discussions, Thematic Workshops, Poster sessions and short Poster-Discussion Sessions.

Venue and Accommodation

Edinburgh’s new John McIntyre Centre on the Pollock Halls campus is set in the beautiful ambience of Holyrood Park – a map can be found by clicking here. Located within walking distance of the City and a full range of restaurants, pubs and local attractions, the area has a wide range of residential accommodation, from Guest Houses to Hotels – details of local accomodation options can be found by clicking here.

External

11 April, 2011

IAU 2011: Internationalization of Higher Education: New Players, New Approaches

IAU Global Meeting of Associations (IV) on Internationalization of Higher Education: New Players; New Approaches, co-organized with the Association of Indian Universities and the Indian Institute of Information Technology, 11 - 12 April 2011, New Delhi, India.

IAU invites leaders and representatives of international, regional and national associations of universities as well as networks and rectors’ conferences to register for the 4th edition of the IAU Global Meeting of Associations (GMA IV).

The GMA which will focus on Internationalization of Higher Education: New Players, New Approaches. The GMA IV is organized in partnership with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) and will be held in New Delhi (India) on 11-12 April, 2011. Suggestions for sub-topics can be sent to e.egron-polak@iau-aiu.net until November 15.

NAIRTL

11 April, 2011

Workshop: Development of support structures for research supervisors

The objectives of this workshop are to share experiences of implementing the framework curriculum on Research Supervisor Support and Development, to discuss the optimum use of resource materials such as case studies and scenarios, and to examine potential methods for integrating the curriculum into current HEI programmes.

This workshop will feature presentations from the members of the National Academy’s Supervisor Support Working Group who have worked collaboratively to develop and pilot a framework curriculum to optimise support for research supervisors drawing on best practice from Australasia, Europe and North America. The framework curriculum addresses issues spanning the lifecycle of the student supervision and is comprised of four workshops varying from half-day to full-day sessions which can be tailored to local practices and needs.

Following the workshop, interested institutions will then be invited to contact the National Academy with a view towards availing of the curriculum framework, resources and online discussion forum, all of which will be accessed via a password protected Virtual Learning Environment.

Current Supervisor Support Working Group members Professor Alan Kelly, Dean of Graduate Studies, University College Cork (Chair) Dr Niall Smith, Head of Research, Cork Institute of Technology Dr Pat Morgan, Dean of Graduate Studies, National University of Ireland, Galway Professor Veronica Campbell, Dean of Graduate Studies, Trinity College Dublin Dr Janet Carton, Graduate Programmes Manager, University College Dublin Dr Willie Donnelly, Head of Research, Waterford Institute of Technology Dr Catherine O’Mahony, NAIRTL

External

8 April, 2011

Crossing Borders: Challenges and Opportunities Promoting best practice and collaboration amongst occupational therapists throughout all Ireland

Abstracts submissions by 19 November 2010

The College of Occupational Therapists and the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland (AOTI) are collaborating to run an all Ireland conference in 2011 'Crossing Borders: Challenges and Opportunities: Promoting best practice and collaboration amongst occupational therapists throughout all Ireland'.

Early Childhood in Developing World Contexts: International Conference

A two-day international conference on global childhoods will be held at University College Cork on the 7th and 8th April, 2011. The overall aim of the conference is to deepen understanding of children’s lives in developing country contexts, drawing attention to early childhood development in the majority world and the importance of including local traditions, culture and knowledge in professional practice. Current discourses on early childhood in a global context will be examined and debated. In particular, the conference will explore the localised contexts of childhood and challenge the euro-centric perspective which current research and practice largely offers. Researchers, policy makers and practioners will come together to build on their experiences and knowledge and to contribute to current debates on appropriate polices and professional practices in Early Years Care and Education.

Confirmed Keynotes Speakers: • Professor Helen Penn, Professor of Early Childhood Studies, University of East London• Dr Hasina Banu Ebrahim, Discipline Leader for Early Childhood/Foundation Phase Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. • Dr Karen Wells, Senior Lecturer and Programme Director International Childhood Studies, Birkbeck College, University of London • Dr. Angela Veale, Department of Applied Psychology, University College Cork

Papers and posters are invited, but not limited to, the following areas of interest: • Challenges of child labour • Children living with HIV/AIDS • Gender roles and practices in early years • Incorporating global childhood into teaching on Early Years and Childhood programmes• Child migration • Early years care and education in developing countries• The role of early years in achieving Millennium Development Goals

Abstracts should be sent to ecdwcic@ucc.ie:, following this order:author(s), affiliation, email address, title of abstract, body of abstract

Papers: 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 3rd December 2010.Posters: 100 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 3rd December 2010

For presenters who wish to be considered for subsequent publication a draft paper should be submitted by Friday 28th January 2011. Online conference registration will be open shortly. Please see conference website for further information and online registration http://www.ucc.ie/en/ecdconf/

Organising Committee:Deirdre Horgan, Shirley Martin, and Jacqui O’RiordanSchool of Applied Social Studies, College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, University College Cork

This Conference is funded by Irish Aid Development Education Unit

External

4 April, 2011

Canada International Conference on Education (CICE-2011)

The CICE is an international refereed conference dedicated to the advancement of the theory and practices in education. The CICE promotes collaborative excellence between academicians and professionals from Education.

The aim of CICE is to provide an opportunity for academicians and professionals from various educational fields with cross-disciplinary interests to bridge the knowledge gap, promote research esteem and the evolution of pedagogy. The CICE 2011 invites research papers that encompass conceptual analysis, design implementation and performance evaluation. All the accepted papers will appear in the proceedings and modified version of selected papers will be published in special issues peer reviewed journals.

The topics in CICE-2011 include but are not confined to the following areas:

Cork Science Café: Who's fooling whom in Science

Join us at Blackrock Castle on April Fools' Evening

UCC’s Professor of Biochemistry and Irish Times Science columnist William Reville will lead an informal discussion entitled Who’s fooling whom? With contributions from Colm Ryan of Cork Skeptics, our panellists will address questions such as “Can we trust the claims made for new drugs”, “Are results sometimes rushed to publication?”, “How much trust can we place in science”, and “What great claims are actually pseudoscience”?

Cork Science Café is held at Blackrock castle on the first Friday of every month and is affiliated with the international network of Science Cafés (or Café Scientifique). The Science Café aims to demystify science and increase awareness and understanding of technology, innovation, research and the sciences generally.

As part of the First Friday event, the Cork Science Café discussion will be followed by a lecture by Nick Addey on Stars - the Real Pictures from 8-9pm. Nick, a local writer and one of Ireland’s foremost science editors, has painstakingly pieced together a collection of ‘real star pictures’, i.e. pictures that map onto the stars, using star names and his own observations. The result is a series of pictures that highlight a forgotten stellar legacy, one where astronomy and mythology are interwoven and the stories and mythologies of our ancestors are projected onto the modern night sky.

Further details are available online at First Friday at the CastleDinner and refreshments can be purchased in the Castle Café till 9.30pm

Celebration of Teaching and Learning: WNET 6th annual conference

Each year, the Celebration brings together a unique gathering of thinkers, experts, and visionaries to share insights and perspectives on what it takes to provide the absolute best in educational opportunities for our students.

Since the Common Core in Math and ELA are top-of-mind in this school year, we will offer sessions on both Friday and Saturday. The new national science framework also will be featured.

The post-conference surveys made it clear that attendees love hearing from writers who are popular among teens, tweens, and younger students, so you can expect great guests in this area.

STEM will be bigger than ever with sessions from the U.S. Department of Education, new programs scheduled on PBS, panels and workshops designed by Math for America, the “Maker Movement,” and the new exhibit at the New York Hall of Science on the knowledge and inventions that came from the Muslim world while most of Europe was mired in the “dark ages.”

Another bumper crop of book signings connected to presentations by the nation’s leading educator/authors such as Diane Ravitch, Milton Chen, Kathleen Cushman, Barnett Berry, Scott Noppe-Brandon, Brian Greene, and Pedro Noguera.

Much greater focus on the arts – yes, we heard you! – including sessions with Jamie Bernstein and the Abreu Fellows who are extending the Venezuelan phenomenon El Sistema in the U.S.

And much more on autism, health and well-being, ELA, education gaming, bullying, and preK-12’s most pressing issues

University College Dublin

16 March, 2011

The Real Risk is Doing Nothing: Supporting Nursing and Midwifery Students with Disabilities in Clinical Practice

AHEAD together with School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems University College Dublin aim to advance the skills and recognise the hard work of faculty staff and preceptors from all specialties, as they face these new challenges. This event is aimed primarily at nurses and midwives in preceptor, academic and supervisory roles but will also appeal to policy makers, professional bodies, human resource professionals and student nurses.

External

2 March, 2011

Graduates for the 21st Century: Integrating the Enhancement Themes

This conference is one of the biggest learning and teaching events in the Scottish higher education calendar.

The main focus of this year’s conference will be the current Enhancement Theme, Graduates for the 21st Century: Integrating the Enhancement Themes. The purposes of the conference are to stimulate wide-ranging discussion and debate and to show and share practical examples of the enhancement of learning and teaching from across the Scottish higher education sector and beyond. This will be achieved through plenary sessions, workshops, presentation and poster sessions.

The broad aims of the conference are to support the student learning experience through:

providing opportunities to discuss the achievement of graduate attributes

discussing what makes a difference for students in developing graduate attributes

sharing and debating the ongoing outputs of the Theme

showing the impact of the Enhancement Themes

providing networking opportunities

We hope that many of you will consider submitting proposals for the conference sessions and many will sign up to attend what will be two days of stimulating presentations and discussions.

Dublin City University

21 February, 2011

Does higher education create public good(s) and should it be publicly funded?

We are pleased to invite you to a seminar in a series aiming to stimulate debate between researchers, those engaged in policy and practice in higher education and representatives of civil society.

The main speaker for this event is Simon Marginson, Professor of Higher Education at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Professor Marginson provides advice for the OECD and the governments of Ireland, Australia and several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and writes principally about globalization, higher education and education policy. He will present a lecture entitled 'Does higher education create public good(s) and should it be publicly funded?'. This will be followed by an open discussion chaired by Professor Maria Slowey, Director of Higher Education Research, DCU, with participants and expert panellists including Professor Patrick Clancy, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, UCD, Professor Ellen Hazelkorn, Director of Research and Enterprise, DIT and Professor Shinichi Yamamoto, Director, Research Institute for Higher Education, Hiroshima University, Japan.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to interested colleagues. There is no fee for attendance, but booking is required as places are limited to facilitate discussion and a light lunch. RSVP to: HERC@dcu.ie.

St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra

4 February, 2011

IASSEE: Learning for the Twenty-First Century: From Research to Practice?

The 10th IASSEE (Irish Association for Social, Scientific and Environmental Education) annual conference has as its theme “Learning for the Twenty-First Century: From Research to Practice”. This year’s conference will bring together teachers and educational researchers to share their practices and perspectives on the most recent innovations in the teaching of History, Geography and Science. Keynote presentations and both paper and poster presentations will describe current research, with exemplars of engaging and creative approaches provided in a number of workshops.

Abstract and registration forms can be downloaded from http://www.spd.dcu.ie/IASSEE10. The deadline for submission of abstracts is Friday the 3rd December 2010. This year’s conference will also include a post-graduate forum for students to present work on on-going masters and Ph.D. research.

Careers 1. Graduates seeking information about employment opportunities 2. Those seeking to progress their careers and pursue new opportunities for advancement 3. Unemployed seeking information about careers and job opportunities

Study & Work Abroad 1. Those wishing to study abroad 2. Those seeking information about emmigrating and working in another country (EU & non-EU)

For anyone who wishes to make contact with a swathe of Ireland's young, motivated and highly ambitious population, Choices 2011 represents the greatest opportunity to do so.

External

14 January, 2011

World Universities Forum

The World Universities Forum (WUF) examines the current state and future possibilities of the university in this era of dramatic change. The WUF accepts proposal submissions on topics related to this general theme or on the special theme, Asia Rising andthe Changing Architecture of Global Higher Education. This special theme does more than correspond to the WUF's HongKong venue, it also reflects the significant and increasing role of Asia in higher education.The WUF welcomes distinguished plenary speakers, including:• Anthony B.L. Cheung, President, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong• S. Gopinathan, Professorial Fellow, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore• George Haddad, Director, Division of Higher Education, UNESCO, Paris, France• Shi Jinghuan, Professor and Executive Dean, Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, China• Hugh Lauder, Professor of Education and Political Economy, University of Bath, UK• William G. Tierney, Professor of Higher Education and Director, Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis, University ofSouthern California, USA• Tapio Varis, Professor of Professional Education, University of Tampere, Finland• Xu Xiaozhou, Professor and Dean, College of Education, Zhejiang University, China

External

10 January, 2011

Seminar on Juvenile Justice Strategic Litigation

This seminar, presented by Marsha Levick, legal director of the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia will discuss the JLC experience of challenging juvenile justice practices in the US, including the practice whereby lawyers and researchers work together to effect change. The seminar will be chaired by Dr Ursula Kilkelly, Faculty of Law, UCC, with a response by Catherine Ghent, solicitor.

Ms Levick is in Ireland to support the establishment of the Child Law Clinic at the Law Faculty, UCC. This initiative is supported by NAIRTL.

External

17 December, 2010

Submission Deadline: Undergraduate Awards

The Undergraduate Awards of Ireland & Northern Ireland are looking for the top undergraduates on the island of Ireland. If a student has written an excellent essay or project, which received a high 2.1 (or equivalent) or above, why not encourage them to submit it for consideration? Open to all final and penultimate year students, the awards aim to recognise Ireland’s brightest students, who have demonstrated innovation, originality and excellence in their coursework. Essay or projects can be submitted on www.undergraduateawards.com.

Students must write a 100-word abstract on their essay or project, and the submission process should take no longer than 10 minutes.

If you have a student who has written an excellent essay or project of the highest standard, and think they should be recognised as one of Ireland and Northern Ireland’s top undergraduates, encourage them to enter now at www.undergraduateawards.com

There is no fee for attendance, but booking is required as places are limited to facilitate discussion.

A light lunch will be provided at 13.00.

RSVP: HERC@dcu.ie.

External

7 December, 2010

3rd Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research

2010 Euro-Africa Week on ICT Research & e-Infrastructures will be held in Helsinki in early December. It will start with the 3rd Euro-Africa Forum on Information Communication Technology Research and go on with the 1st Euro-Africa Conference on e-Infrastructures. The second version of this Forum took place in February 2010 in Addis Ababa and was a considerable success. It is a unique opportunity to discuss recent developments and perspectives in the field.

Objectives:The objectives of the Forum are the following: * allow European and African stakeholders involved in the development of cooperation on ICT to get together; * allow participants to exchange views, share information, and identify synergies in order to increase the impact of their activities; * further support policy dialogues, apprehend medium- to long term perspectives and agree on an overall and coherent vision; * give the highest visibility to ongoing initiatives addressing Euro-Africa S&T cooperation in ICT; * increase the number of sub-Saharan organisations involved in EU/Framework Programme 7 collaborative projects on ICT research.

Background:The 8th partnership of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy provides a long-term framework for structured dialogue and cooperation between Africa and the European Union in the fields of science, space and the information society. Science and information play an essential role for economic transformation in Africa and enhanced dialogue must be consolidated. Supporting the development of an inclusive information society in Africa may be a key enabler for poverty reduction, growth, and socioeconomic development. This partnership counts with the monitoring of the DG Information Society and Media (INFSO) of the European Commission, and the Human Resources, Science and Technology Department of the African Union Commission.

Participants:About 300 African and European key stakeholders from different institutions (private sector, higher education sector, national governments, international organisations, think tanks etc) are expected to attend this event.

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

2 December, 2010

International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy

‘To teach is part of the very fabric of learning’ Paolo Freire

Creating an engaging learning environment is crucial for educators today. The third International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy (ICEP 2010) seeks to help lecturers in Higher Education address the challenge of creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment in which students can most effectively learn by offering an opportunity to share experiences with each other at the forefront of the national and international pedagogical field.

ICEP 2010 will take place on Friday, December 3rd 2010 in NUI Maynooth. Details on registration will appear here soon.

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

1 December, 2010

Workshop on Assessment

Prof. Sally Brown will facilitate two workshops on Assessment inconjunction with the Centre for Teaching and Learning in NUI Maynooth onWednesday, December 1st.

10-12pm: Assessment in large groups2-4pm: Organising peer assessment

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

27 November, 2010

Perspectives on a Moving Target. Is Change the New Constant in Higher Education?

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) will hold its first Education Conference on November 27th 2010 titled Perspectives on a Moving Target. Is Change the New Constant in Higher Education? This first bi-annual conference will acknowledge the significant contribution to education of Bernard O’Hara, (GMIT, 1972 - 2010).

GMIT President, Marion Coy, will present on the new strategy for higher education in Ireland which will be published in the Autumn 2010. Marion is a member of the HE strategy group and is renowned for her knowledge of HE systems worldwide and her unique ability to communicate a vision for HE in Ireland.

Professor Tom Collins from NUI Maynooth, will address the impact of change on curriculum reform and the student experience with particular reference to Ireland’s leading role in the Bologna Process. Pádraig Ó Ceidigh, Chairman, Aer Arann will present on the importance of building entrepreneurial skills into the curriculum.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Rajani Naidoo from the University of Bath. Rajani is a renowned speaker on strategic issues impacting on HE and proposes to challenge the delegates thinking. Students from GMIT, AIT and NUIG will share their learning experiences of the modernisation of the curriculum.

| Other

24 November, 2010

Challenges in Professional Learning across the Disciplines

Modern society is characterized by concepts as ‘fast changing’, ‘complex’ and ‘dynamic’. This leads to a focus on ‘professional development’ as a crucial factor for successful business and successful education. Professional development by creating effective learning environments is thus high on the agenda.

Organised by EAPRIL (European Association for Practitioner Research on Improving Learning) this conference focuses on the challenges of professional learning across discuplines and examines formal and informal training methods which should be adapted to the dynamic environment, which requires and interweaving of learning and working processes. Learning is thus a cross-cutting concern of several processes. Related key concepts as ‘knowledge and competence development’, ‘professional learning and training’, ‘creation of learning environments’ are subject of many studies, models, theories and professional practices.

Across the disciplines, there are often different underlying conceptualizations of learning and knowledge. To overcome these conceptual differences and isolation, EAPRIL wants to create a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas. With this conference, we will strengthen the research and practice in this fascinating area.

Key notes

Prof. Maria do Céu Roldão, Portugal ‘Professional knowledge of teachers - perspectives and issues in a time of ressignification of schooling and learning'

Prof. Robert-Jan Simons, The Netherlands 'How do we become curious or don't we?’

Niel van Meeuwen, Belgium 'Classrooms without walls'

Mariana Alves, Portugal ‘What is professional learning about? Contribution from an educational point of view’

| Other

23 November, 2010

Innovating e-Learning 2010 online conference

What do you look for in a conference?

Inspiration – from outstanding keynote speakers?

Challenges - opportunities to engage in debate with experts and fellow practitioners?

Bookings will close at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 23rd November. No bookings can be accepted after this point. Participation costs £50.

| Other

22 November, 2010

Transforming graduate education: how far have we progressed?

Graduate Education Forum The IUA will convene an invited audience from across higher education and associated partners, including public bodies and employers, to discuss the development and future orientation of doctoral education in Ireland.

Assessment of Reflective Portfolios, Journals and Diaries

An increasing number of Schools are incorporating reflective work into their student assignments. These assignments provide unique insights into student learning. Examples of these assignments will be presented. Staff have found that assessment of this reflective work has its own challenges. In this seminar, the issues, and potential solutions, will be discussed and sample marking schemes/rubrics will be made available.

Globe Forum Dublin 2010

The event is an international marketplace conference around the challenge of how cities can be Smarter and Greener. That challenge is already being tackled in Dublin and the event will highlight the emergence of Ireland and its capital city region as an international open city, open for innovation, open for research and open for talent and investment.

| Other

15 November, 2010

International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation

ICERI2010 will be an International Forum for those who wish to present their projects and innovations, having also the opportunity to discuss the main aspects and the latest results in the field of Education and Research.

The general aim of the conference is to promote international collaboration in Education and Research in all educational fields and disciplines. The attendance of more than 600 delegates from 65 different countries is expected.

We invite you to submit your abstracts and to attend in order to share your achievements in the fields of education and collaboration. The deadline for submitting abstracts is July 15th, 2010.

There will be three presentation modalities: Oral and poster presentations (in-person) and virtual (for those who can not attend in person)

Two ISBN publications will be produced with all the accepted abstracts and papers that will serve as a database of innovation projects in Education and Research.

In addition to the technical aspects of the programme, our website provides you with tourist information on the beautiful city of Madrid, with an enormous cultural richness and lovely places of interest.

We look forward to seeing you in Madrid!ICERI2010 Organising Committee

University College Cork

12 November, 2010

Launch: IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Centre

Launch of UCC's IGNITE Graduate Business Innovation Centre.

Background to IGNITE:• This UCC initiative was delivered in partnership with the Cork County and City Enterprise Boards and is supported by Cork County Council, Cork Chamber, EMC, PFH and the entrepreneur community• It is centre for recent higher education graduates of any discipline to o create jobs by nurturing entrepreneurship o accelerate business start-ups o turn innovative ideas into innovative products and services• One-year structured support programme on all aspects of bringing a product to market

Key Objectives:• Create jobs and contribute to economic recovery• Focus on talented higher education graduates across all disciplines (Arts, Celtic Studies, Social Sciences, Business, Law, Medicine and Health, Science, Engineering and Food Science etc) from any 3rd level institution• Facilitate graduates in developing a business, product or service; develop innovation competencies in graduates• Strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship nationallyServices Provided Free of Charge:• Business incubation space in a state-of-the-art facility (UCC’s Western Gateway Building)• A comprehensive Start Your Own Business programme including workshops on Business Planning, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Sales, People Management, Product Development and Venture Capital• Individual business mentoring• Regular networking events• Placement on specific training courses• Enterprise support and advice through a series of half-day clinics• Membership of the Cork Chamber• Access to Entrepreneurial ‘Coaches on Campus’• Access to UCC's academic, research and commercialisation expertise• Location in a cosmopolitan multidisciplinary University campus with access to the University's information resources and library• Retention of Jobseeker’s Allowance

We know that international education encourages both global interdependence and a culturally diverse world. But in recent years, study abroad has been confronted by new attitudes and expectations from students, faculty, and parents. The actual student experience has become markedly different. As international educators, it is our responsibility to ensure that quality programming endures.

At the 2010 CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) conference, we will discuss issues of program excellence and what this means as the field evolves, and how to best ensure its efficacy. Surrounded by Philadelphia’s famed row house architecture and the modern culture of its renowned murals, we’ll explore the existing study abroad landscape and new expectations from all stakeholders.

| Other

10 November, 2010

Lifelong Learning International Conference 2010: Enhancing Human and Social Capital through Lifelong Learning

The 3LInC ’10 conference provides an opportunity to discuss issues of importance and relevance to advancing knowledge and democratising education. This conference is of interest to all those involved in Continuing Education, Continuing Professional Development, Educational Programme Developers, Academicians, Researchers, Regulators, Policy Makers, Professional Associations and Learning Organisations from around the world. 3LInC’10 is unique in its diversity with a common focus to enhance human and social capital through lifelong learning.

Ideas to ascertain that the future workforce becomes better trained and more functional will be discussed. With ever-accelerating developments continuing to influence the changing educational landscape, 3LInC’10 is here to provide an avenue - for scholars and educators to continue to exchange views and experiences, formulate strategies, forge academic fraternities, and, all in all, contribute positively towards democratising education for ALL.

NAIRTL

9 November, 2010

National Awards for Excellence in Teaching 2010

Winners of the 2010 National Awards for Excellence in Teaching will be announced at a ceremony in the Coach House in Dublin Castle on Tuesday 9th November 2010. Full biographical details of the Award winners are available here.

Location The Coach House is in the Dublin castle complex near the Dubh Linn gardens and adjacent to the Chester Beatty library. It is best accessed through the Palace street or Ship street entrances.

ParkingParking is available in Christchurch Cathedral car park or at other parking options are available.

| Other

26 October, 2010

Asia-Europe University Cooperation: Contributing to the Global Knowledge Society

The 2nd ASEM Rectors' Conference themed “Asia-Europe University Cooperation: Contributing to the Global Knowledge Society” is organised through the joint efforts of the ASEM Education Hub (AEH) under the auspices of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), Korea University (KU) and the ASEAN University Network (AUN) on 26-27 October, 2010 in Seoul, Korea. Building on the results of the 1st ASEM Rectors' Conference, the 2nd ASEM Rectors’ Conference will convene rectors and heads of universities and higher education institutions from ASEM member states to:

contribute actively to enhancing institutional exchange and cooperation of universities in ASEM countries

strengthen the stakeholder process, and further enhance its articulation with regards to the ASEM Education Process, by reinforcing the working relations of ASEM university associations and higher education institutions

develop recommendations for the upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers for Education (ASEMME3), May 2011.

| Other

21 October, 2010

14th UNESCO-APEID International Conference: Education for Human Resource Development

Based in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok, Thailand, the Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) has organized a series of international conferences since 1995 to provide a forum for policy dialogue, and information and knowledge sharing on development-oriented education innovations and exemplary practices in and beyond the Asia-Pacific region.

The 14th UNESCO-APEID International Conference will focus on “Education for Human Resource Development” for participants to examine and strengthen the relationships and linkages between the world of education and the world of work. More specifically, the UNESCO-APEID Conference will provide a forum to:

Increase understanding and knowledge of education for HRD;

Showcase and promote innovative and educational approaches, projects and practices that enhance education for HRD;

Encourage national, regional and global collaboration across all sectors and levels to improve education for HRD; and

CAIE: Conference of the Americas on International Education

The Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAIE) is intended to provide a space for connecting with potential partners and for incubating new opportunities and ideas across the hemisphere.The theme of this conference is "Internationalization: Essential Building Block to Quality in 21st Century Education".

With a clear focus on North, South and Central America and the Caribbean, CAIE will attract attention and the participation of international education professionals from around the world. Come meet with a range of partners and potential partners, and

Share views and best practices on international education issues that will help us pursue quality and innovation at the national and international levels

Develop networks and identify new opportunities in the education sector

Promote and expand partnerships and strategic alliances for future collaboration

Debate different policies and approaches and discuss emerging trends in higher education that equally affect the northern and southern hemispheres of the Americas, including the Caribbean and Central America

Discuss issues for developing countries of the Americas as they relate to higher education and explore potential solutions to pressing problems

Have your say in providing guidance on educational matters to regional organizations and forums, such as the Organization of the American States, helping them to set agendas focused on educational needs and priorities

The Palermo conference will address the various forces pushing for institutional change and in particular for greater diversification in European higher education, how these impact on universities, and what this means in relation to the common values upheld by universities that constitute a unique contribution to our societies.

The key objective is to assist institutional leaders in understanding better and in responding to the different pressures they face, in particular to focus and sharpen their specific institutional profiles.

The Conference will highlight examples of strategies and practices adopted by university leaders in different contexts and designed to enhance specific institutional missions, as well as to attract and retain high quality staff, cater to diverse student profiles, and consider incentives for developing diverse research strategies and research portfolios. The current economic crisis, increasingly limited financial resources and serious government cutbacks in many countries make consideration of these topics crucial, with many institutions under pressure to make difficult decisions as a result of mergers or other change processes as well as fierce global competition.

| Other

20 October, 2010

World Universities Congress: New aims and responsibilities of universities?

The congress is on the main theme: "What should be the new aims and responsibilities of universities within the framework of global issues?" The congress will be attended by many worldwide universities, intellectuals, non-governmental organizations, politicans, administrators, managers and journalists. A total of nearly two thousands of scientists from Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Middle East, Asia and the balcan countries are expected to participate in the congress.

Various social and cultural activities and programs will be held over the course of the congress whic will last five days.

| Other

19 October, 2010

ISSOTL 2010: Liverpool UK

The seventh conference of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (ISSOTL) wil be held in Liverpool, UK from the 19-22 October 2010.

ISSOTL serves faculty members, staff, and students who care about teaching and learning as serious intellectual work. The goal of the Society is to foster inquiry and disseminate findings about what improves and articulates post-secondary learning and teaching.

Erik Meyers, University of Durham, and Ray Land, University of Strathclyde"Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge"

| Other

15 October, 2010

ACA Seminar: World-class. The brave new world of global higher education and research

Theme"Everyone wants a world-class university. No country feels it can do without one. The problem is that no one knows what a world-class university is, and no one has figured out how to get one."

This is the verdict on the ‘world-class university’ of one of the renowned speakers at this ACA European Policy Seminar and leading experts on the issue, Philip Altbach of Boston College. As Altbach points out, the ‘concept’ is as hotly debated as it is vague and little understood. In short, it is a challenge.

This one-day seminar aimed to familiarise participants with the state-of- the-art thinking on what constitutes a ‘world-class university’ and what it takes to build one. More in detail, it

* addressed the role of internationalisation, funding, and governance in the creation of internationally excellent higher education institutions * analysed the link between the world-class concept and the recent emergence of global rankings * asked – and answered – the question who needs one – or more – world class universities * explored the link between world-class universities and the entire higher education system, by asking the question which “undergrowth” of other institutions an internationally leading university needs in order to thrive * explored alternative concepts of excellence beyond that of the research university * scrutinised the role of teaching and learning in excellence.

| Other

15 October, 2010

Irish Teaching and Learning Festival

The Irish Teaching and Learning Festival is Ireland’s first interactive conference and exhibition focused on the future of education in Ireland at primary and secondary level.

This exhibition and conference will deliver a unique opportunity for teachers, principals, policy makers, boards of management and parents from all over the country. The conference will feature keynote speakers such as Lord David Puttnam. There will be practical workshops and live teaching and learning demonstrations.

The exhibition will feature over 80 exhibitors showcasing a wide range of essential teaching and learning resources for the 21st century. There will be a festival guide and a festival bag filled with information and resources for every delegate attending the festival.

October 15-16 2010

| Other

14 October, 2010

Bologna Ireland Conference: Placing Bologna in Context

The Irish National Agency for LLP: Erasmus will host a Bologna Conference on 14-15 October 2010 at the King's Inns in Dublin.

The Conference will reflect on the first decade of the process but will actively focus on tasks that need to be addressed in the next 10 years.

A number of themes have been identified - European Citizenship; Mobility; Enhancing Employability of Graduates; Building Higher Education Partnerships; Innovation and the Role of Higher Education in post-recession Europe.

EDUCAUSE 2010

In the realm of higher education information technology, no other event brings together more powerful, creative minds in the field than the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference…

CONNECT with colleagues and explore solutions to today’s common higher ed IT challenges.

EMPOWER action by uncovering new ways to enhance your campus’s resources and policies.

REVITALIZE and ignite ideas that help you navigate and shape our ever-changing future.

The EDUCAUSE Annual Conference unites the best thinking in higher education IT by bringing together insightful people, innovative research, supportive companies, and useful resources...providing you opportunities to:

For your team members who are unable to attend the conference in person, we're offering a concurrent online conference. You'll experience some of the same great speakers and content, AND get to host the event on YOUR campus. Participate as an individual, or get a team together and book a conference room. You decide.

Regardless of whether you attend in person or online, both dynamic venues will give you practical takeaways, help you develop beneficial relationships, and advance your professional knowledge and skills.

NAIRTL

6 October, 2010

NAIRTL / LIN Annual Conference

Location: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.Date: 6-7 October 2010.

The focus of this year's conference is on Flexible Learningwhich relates to providing learners with increased choice about where, when and how they learn. The aim of this conference is to encourage and support HEI staff to undertake innovative approaches to their curriculum design and course implementation to meet the challenges of flexible learning.

This conference is collaborative between NAIRTL and LIN and the programme will feature keynote talks, invited papers, workshops and a poster session relating to the below conference themes.

Michael HörigPolicy officer in the Higher Education Policy Unit at the European University Association. Michael is in charge of policy on widening access, lifelong learning, qualifications frameworks, innovative teaching and the Bologna Process.

Flexible Learning: the European Context

OPTIONAL WORKSHOPSTo facilitate staff development, there will be a number of training workshops held post-conference to make delegates familiar with the software tools available relating to the delivery of flexible learning options.

SponsorsThe organisers gratefully acknowledge the support of the following sponsors for their significant contributions:Bluebrick.ie, Electric Paper, Enovation Solutions, ILTA: Irish Learning Technologies Association and NDLR: National Digital Learning Resources

Image Gallery

Click on an image to view a larger version.

| Other

5 October, 2010

World Teachers' Day- Recovery begins with Teachers

World Teachers’ Day, held annually on 5 October since 1994, commemorates the anniversary of the signing in 1966 of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers. It is an occasion to celebrate the essential role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels.

Science and Mathematics Education Conference 2010

This year's conference will be held in DCU from the 16th-17th September and delegates are kindly reminded that the call for abstracts for participation is now OPEN!

TOPICS of interest include (but are not limited to) the following: · Breadth versus depth in science and mathematics curricula · Attitudes and perceptions of inquiry-based learning · Implications for teacher education; pre-service & in-service · Inquiry for teachers - challenges and rewards of implementation · Inquiry as a means versus inquiry as an outcome · Assessment of inquiry

Conference participants wishing to give a poster, oral or workshop presentation which addresses the themes of the conference are invited to submit an abstract (max. 250 words) which will be reviewed by the organising committee. Based on their quality, a selection of participants will be invited to participate at the conference. Student prizes may be awarded to the best poster and oral presentation during the conference.

SMEC2010, the fourth in a series of biennial international Science and Mathematics Education Conferences (SMEC) hosted by the Centre for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Teaching and Learning (CASTeL) of Dublin City University and St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, Dublin.

Inquiry-based learning has been chosen as the theme for this year’s conferences as it has been shown to be the preferred choice to teach science and mathematics in an engaging and stimulating manner, with the aim of encouraging students to continue to learn and pursue careers in this area.

5th International Inquiring Pedagogies Conference

Conceptualising Impact: Exploring the effectiveness of practice through pedagogic research

iPED 2010, hosted by the iPED Research Network is an inclusive higher education research conference which encourages new researchers to meet and debate with more established colleagues, while ensuring the quality of contributions through a process of peer review and feedback to authors.

Academic Writing, Research Strategies and Collaboration for Evidencing Impact

| Other

13 September, 2010

Higher Education in a World Changed Utterly: Doing More with Less

With the global financial crisis having a significant impact on OECD countries, the IMHE Conference, Higher Education in a World Changed Utterly: Doing More with Less, will focus on how the higher education sector including governments, institutions and individuals can lead the way to sustainable recovery. How can effective and efficient results be achieved at a time of greater demand with fewer resources? Capitalising on the OECD’s highly-respected evidence base, the conference will draw on analyses and opinions from some of the world’s leading experts. The main goal of the conference is to identify longer-term trends within a global context. Key topics will include governance, resources, technology, relevance and sustainability. National policies will be analysed, institutional case studies will be presented as well as the latest research from the OECD and elsewhere.

The biennial conference is an eminent event for those involved in higher education. It brings together higher education policy makers, institutional leaders and academic experts. With notable speakers, stimulating conference sessions, this conference also provides important networking opportunities for participants.

International Conference on Engaging Pedagogies

ThemeEngaging pedagogy: research and practices for a new decade

The organising committee welcomes abstract submissions for the International Conference on Engaging Pedagogy (ICEP10) to be held in the National University of Ireland Maynooth on Sep 2nd 2010. The theme of this year’s conference is Engaging pedagogy: research and practices for a new decade.

Abstracts should be no more than 200 words in length in Microsoft Word or PDF format and should be submitted at info@icep.ie by March 22nd 2010. Intermediate feedback will be available to authors on or before March 29th. Final papers are due May 10th. Notification of acceptance will take place before or on June 14th.

The aim of the 32nd EAIR Forum VALENCIA 2010 is to unite the whole academic community for a new social challenge: motivate higher education researchers and policy makers to promote innovative best practices on academic and R&D & innovation activities and services to society all around Europe. Read more »

Tracks

Track 1 • Reaching out to Society: The way Universities interact with Society Track 2 • The Experience of Students/Learners Track 3 • The enhancement of Quality to serve Society Track 4 • Policies and Funding for University Sustainability Track 5 • Innovative ways to link University and Society Track 6 • University Governance & Management

Call for Papers The Programme Committee invites you to submit your Paper Proposal for the 32nd Annual EAIR Forum Valencia 2010. You are welcome to send in more than one proposal. However, only 1 proposal per author will be accepted.

PostersPosters are well suited to give overviews of facts and figures and the conclusions drawn from the research. A poster is meant to grab the viewer's attention and quickly communicate its ideas and relevance.

Deadlines

Deadline for the submission of your Proposal is Monday 25 January 2010 (Notification of acceptance by e-mail: no later than 30 April 2010)

Deadline for the submission of a Poster is Saturday 1 May 2010

Deadline for the submission of an Accepted Paper to be included on the website is Thursday 15 July 2010. For those who want to be included in the competition for the EAIR Best Paper Award, this deadline is Thursday 1 July 2010

Terminology & Knowledge Engineering (TKE) Conference

The invited talks are 'Cognitive aspects of designing, generating, and using domain ontologies', by Prof Gerhard Budin (University of Vienna), and 'How to build a termbase for 500,000 users (and live to tell the story)' by MichalBoleslav Mechura and Brian Ó Raghallaigh (DCU).

Workshops(11th & 14th August):

Can quality be assured in the language industry?

Accommodating user needs for ISO 704: Towards a new revision of the core international standard on terminology work

Terminology management business models in localization environments: challenges and change

Vision 2020: Home Economics, Changing Perspectives in a Changing Environment

The conference will be focused in three areas of Sustainability, Globalisation and Interculturalism. We are delighted to have high profile speakers in each of these disciplines.

Our keynote speakers include:

* Dr Martin Caraher, the Associate Dean/Reader in Food and Health Policy in the Centre for Food Policy at City University, London. Dr Caraher has worked extensively on issues related to food poverty, cooking skills, local sustainable food supplies, the role of markets and co-ops in promoting health, farmers markets, food deserts & food access, retail concentration and globalisation. * Dr Kate Fletcher is the keynote speaker in the area of fashion and sustainability. Dr Fletcher has been exploring fashion as a positive force for change towards sustainability for the last fifteen years. She has helped develop the concept of 'slow fashion' and has championed innovative approaches to developing sustainable fashion products and services with clients including high street retailers, small design-led companies and non-profit organizations. She is the author of the widely acclaimed book, 'Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys'. * Dr Dympna Devine is the keynote speaker in the area of Interculturalism and education. Dr Devine is a senior lecturer in the School of Education, University College Dublin, where she is Director of the Structured PhD programme and Chair of post-graduate studies. She lectures in the areas of sociology of education, sociology of childhood and qualitative research methods. Chair of the Egalitarian World Initiative (EWI) research cluster on Children's Rights, she was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship to NOSEB, where she has been appointed as external examiner for research degrees. She has published nationally and internationally in the areas of Childhood Studies and Children's Welfare; Migration, Ethnicity and Schooling; Gender and Education Management and School Effectiveness and Improvement. An invited expert peer reviewer for the European Science Foundation (ESF) for the period 2008 - 2009 she is currently involved in a number of international research projects in the areas of effective teaching and learning and facilitating migrant parents in schools.

A call for submission of papers for oral and poster presentations will be posted in Autumn 2009.

The IFHE Council 2010 Organising Committee, St Angela's College and IFHE Ireland look forward to welcoming you to this groundbreaking conference in Ireland and in particular to St Angela's College, Sligo in July 2010 and are making every effort to have an exciting, dynamic and fruitful programme of events for all participants.

International Summer School: Implementing Bologna in your institution

Where: University College Cork, Cork, IrelandWhen: 5 - 9 July 2010Cost: €600Video:Short video of the summer school themes

Please note: For a full refund, notice of cancellation must be received by the end April 2010 as per the Summer School registration form.

The Bologna process is intended to facilitate the mobility of people, the transparency and recognition of qualifications, quality and the development of a European dimension to higher education. All Bologna countries have agreed to be fully compliant with the Bologna Process by end 2010.

With this deadline fast approaching, now is your opportunity to acquire the strategies and tools to enable the implementation of Bologna in your institution.

Ireland has been very successful in implementing the action lines of the Bologna Process, evidenced by the country’s position at the top of the Bologna Scorecard in 2007, and its second place in 2009. Ireland is also one of the few European countries that has successfully established and implemented a National Qualifications framework.

Travel to Cork this summer and receive comprehensive training by our experienced range of presenters on the following topics:(see short video)

Quality improvement

Quality assurance

University and higher education structures

Strategic planning

National qualification frameworks

Curriculum design

Implementing ECTS

Integrating research, teaching and learning

Writing and using learning outcomes and competences

Linking learning outcomes, teaching, learning and assessment

Lifelong learning

Access and widening participation

Doctoral Education

Who should attend? The International Summer School is targeted at policy makers, senior managers, lecturers and educational developers in Bologna countries and countries aligning with Bologna. Please note that it is hoped to provide accreditation in terms of ECTS credits for those who complete this course.

*Please note that there may be a visa requirements for delegates travelling from particular countries. Details of such requirements are available at www.inis.gov.ie.

Getting Here Cork is a lively university city situated on the south coast of the Republic of Ireland. The University campus is just a short walk from Cork city centre, which is well serviced by rail and road networks. Check details of rail travel and bus travel here.

Cork international airport links Cork directly to Dublin, Belfast, London, and a range of European cities including Amsterdam and Paris. Airlines flying to Cork include Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Aer Arann and BMI Baby. The airport is linked by public transport to the city centre, and is a 10-15 minute taxi ride to the University area.

Parking at University College Cork: Visitor car parking is available at Perrott’s Inch and Perrott Avenue car parks (hourly charge) and at Brookfield Health Science Complex (pay & display).

Accommodation Take your pick from comfortable modern guesthouses, hotels, and family-run B&Bs - each one unique, and each extending a genuine Cork welcome. Click here to search available options.

Getting aroundOn foot: With its compact city centre, Cork is an easy city to get around on foot. A lot of the main shopping areas are open to pedestrians only. As well as this, many of the main attractions are within walking distance of each other.

By bus: There are frequent bus services to all the city’s suburbs. The short trip between the city centre and Kent Station is also covered by the buses. One bus to look out for is the 224 between Cork city and Blarney, which is home to the Blarney Stone, one of Ireland's most popular places to visit.

By car: The spectacular countryside surrounding Cork city is well worth a visit and there are a number of cost-effective car rental operators in Cork should you wish to tour around including Enterprise rent-a-car and Irish car rentals. Click here for a map of Cork county with nearby attractions.

Students: Any students wishing to attend this course should first contact the NAIRTL office to discuss suitability of the course material and potential fee concessions.

More Information You may find the following websites useful in planning your trip to Cork.

Image Gallery

Click on an image to view a larger version.

| Other

24 June, 2010

IAU 2010: Ethics and Values in Higher Education in the Era of Globalisation: What Role for the Disciplines?

The International Association of Universities (IAU) and Mykolas Romeris University are jointly organizing the 2010 IAU International Conference on Ethics and Values in Higher Education in the Era of Globalisation: What Role for the Disciplines?. It will be held at and hosted by Mykolas Romeris University (Vilnius, Lithuania), on June 24-26, 2010.

How can disciplinary approaches and experiences enrich each other and contribute to instilling and promoting value-based and ethical higher education? How do perspectives on these issues differ across cultures? Can the higher education community envisage developing a global code of ethics in higher education? These and other subtopics will be the issues explored by keynote speakers and panellists in parallel workshop sessions.

The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) will host its 30th annual conference from June 23-26 2010 on the topic of Creative Teaching and Learning: Exploring, Shaping and Knowing.

STLHE is a national association of academics interested in the improvement of teaching and learning in higher education. Its members comprise faculty and teaching and learning resource professionals from institutions of post-secondary education across Canada and beyond. Founded in 1981, the bilingual STLHE is home to the Council of 3M Teaching Fellows and the Educational Developers Caucus.

University College Cork

17 June, 2010

The PhD and Early Career Research: Pathways to Success

This one day conference will explore the different options available for early career researchers.

Organisers: Dr Maeve Conrick, Dean of Arts, Vice-Head, College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, Head of School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (m.conrick@ucc.ie) Dr Fiona Cox, Senior Lecturer, French (fcox@french.ucc.ie)

Funded by: NAIRTL

National University of Ireland, Galway

10 June, 2010

Creative Thinking: Re-imagining the University

The 2010 Galway Symposium on Higher Education will take place on June 10th and 11th, 2010. We are currently seeking proposals for papers, short presentations, workshops and posters. The theme of the conference is broad and will encompass submissions spanning a range of topics including:

novel approaches to curricular design

constraints and opportunities in developing new curricula and structures

innovative approaches to teaching and the fostering of active learning

the role of creativity in teaching, learning and research

nurturing creativity in students

imaginative approaches to the student learning experience

creativity myths and reality

Keynote speakers will address some of these issues and we hope to have plenty of opportunity for discussion and debate. Given the theme of the event we are also open to innovative approaches to presentations and the workshop sessions, provided of course such address relevant topics and are appropriate to the audience/participants. Abstracts and related information (format, contact details, etc) should be submitted online by March 1st 2010.

| Other

3 June, 2010

Student Enterprise Awards

2010 Student Enterprise Awards

The 2010 Student Awards, sponsored jointly by Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and Cruickshanks are once again offering third level students across Ireland the chance to compete for the coveted title of College Entrepreneurs of the Year and win a share in the incredible prize fund totalling €50,000 cash & Mentor Support.

The competition, now in its 27th year, is designed to encourage innovation, promote enterprise and foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among third level students. The awards scheme is open to students from all academic disciplines and courses of study. Regardless of your chosen field, if you’re a third level student with a novel idea that you think has commercial potential, then this competition is for you. It could even be the start of something really big – your very first step towards establishing your own successful business. Or maybe you might be able to sell on your idea and obtain royalty income from the manufacturing/selling rights.

All you need to do is demonstrate to the judges that your business idea is viable, well thought out and well researched and you’re on your way! Ideally your idea should be based on a manufacturing project or an internationally traded service.

University of Dublin, Trinity College

27 May, 2010

Linking teaching and research at Australian National University

This presentation will reflect on how student learning can be enhanced through integrating teaching and research. Examples will be given from initiatives at the Australian National University (ANU) to enhance the research intensiveness of the undergraduate experience.

Examples will include:

initiatives associated with ANU’s membership of the International Alliance of Research Universities – www.iaruni.org/index

advanced research intensive undergraduate degrees offered by ANU

two interdisciplinary ANU courses that the speaker facilitates – one field based in Vietnam and the other taught at ANU in collaboration with the national government on “Unravelling Complexity”. For detailed course web pages for these two courses including numerous examples of student assessment items – http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/teaching.html

All are welcome!

This event is being organised as part of the National Academy’s objective to promote excellence in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and to recognise those who are both exemplary teachers and innovative researchers in Higher Education in Ireland.

Speaker Biography Richard Baker is the Deputy Dean of Science at the Australian National University. His research has focused on Aboriginal resource management issues, particularly in the tropical north of Australia, and on cultural heritage and environmental education. He also conducts pedagogic research on improving teaching and learning and has won 3 national teaching awards and was the first person to be awarded the Australian National University prize for teaching excellence twice. More details of his research and teaching can be found at http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/teaching.html

Student Voices: How to get to deeper evaluation of your course

Receiving student feedback at the end of a course, using the standard or slightly modified questionnaires, can sometimes elicit useful information. However, can we enrich this evaluation, and the impact on student learning, by taking a more scholarly approach? Megan Otis, a graduate student at Western Washington University (WWU) is co-editor of the popular book ‘Engaging Student Voices in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning’ (Stylus, 2010). She will share with us some of her experiences from her 7 years as a student and scholar in WWU's Teaching and Learning Academy. She will also share some general principles and promising practices for partnering with students in researching teaching and learning. Megan asks among other things "What roles can or should students have in the scholarship of teaching and learning? And if students are more than just research subjects, what are the benefits and challenges?”

Presenter: Megan Otis, The Teaching and Learning Academy, Western Washington University, US

University College Cork

20 May, 2010

Leading and Managing Research Universities: Why We Need Scholars in Charge

Two presentations from Dr. Amanda Goodall, Leverhulme Fellow, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick

“Leading and Managing Research Universities: Why We Need Scholars in Charge”Lunchtime Lecture @ 1pm in the Council Room (North Wing, Main Quad)

Dr Goodall argues in her recently published Socrates in the Boardroom (Princeton University Press, 2009) that scholars make the best university leaders and draws correlations between the excellence of universities and the academic distinction of their leaders. She will argue in her lunchtime lecture at UCC that scholars who are in management positions behave differently from those who are fundamentally managers, because, she believes, they are more likely to create the right conditions for other experts to flourish. Whatever your views are of this current, though timeless, debate, this lunchtime lecture is sure to occasion a lively discussion afterwards!

Amanda Goodall’s website http://www.amandagoodall.com/index.html contains a full bio and CV as well as further information on her most recent publication Socrates in the Boardroom (available in John Smith’s bookstore, UCC). A recent article published in THES gives a flavour of some of Amanda’s arguments: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=410392

All welcome to either or both of Dr Goodall’s presentations:

Tea/coffee available at 10.45am in Tower Room 1 for attendees of the 11am discussion.

Tea/coffee/sandwiches available in the Council Room from 12.45pm for attendees of the lunchtime lecture.

Registration is now open for EdTech 2010 (www.ilta.net/) at Athlone Institute of Technology from May 20th - May 21st 2010. This year's event will showcase innovations and novel experiences from practitioners, researchers and industry partners - all with the common interest of using technology to enhance the teaching and learning experience. The conference theme is 'Technology in Action', with over 70 activities and presentations on topics including:

Pecha Kucha; short, focused, quick-fire presentations focused on an idea or a topic

Moderated poster sessions

Registration, programme schedules and conference updates are available from ilta.net. Don't forget to sign up for our 20 euro subsidised full Conference Dinner in the beautiful Olive Grove, situated on the banks of the river Shannon. Special EdTech2010 room rates are available from the Sheraton Hotel Athlone <www.sheratonathlonehotel.com/>

Bologna meets the University of TromsÃ¸

Ionad Bairre, in conjunction with NAIRTL, invites you to a lunch-time Seminar by Marit Allern, Associate Professor at the University of Tromsø, Norway, on Tuesday, 27th April entitled "Bologna meets the University of Tromsø”.

As higher education institutions in Norway attempt to align with Bologna and subsequent directives, the effect on student learning is being investigated. There are direct parallels with the process here in Ireland. This talk will focus on what has been done so far. The title points at the changes on a structural level which have affected teaching and student learning. This includes changes initiated both by the Government and by local initiatives. The study at the University of Tromsø focuses on the challenges of assessment and how revision of curricula can result in unpredictable changes in teaching and assessment.

All are welcome

Waterford Institute of Technology

23 April, 2010

Doctoral Supervision in the 21 century Workshop

This workshop which is conducted by Dr Stan Taylor of the University of Durham (author of a handbook for Doctoral supervisors, Rouledge, 2005) will present the latest developments and thinking in the supervision of doctoral students. The morning section of the workshop is a generic one and is also suitable for masters supervisors.

| Other

22 April, 2010

Learning by Developing : New ways to learn

Competence and expertise capital needed for societies to survive, develop and succeed are created by networks involving higher education institutions. In order to educate the future experts as key 'building blocks' of our societies, higher education institutions need to continuously develop their operations to match the requirements of the working life, industries and society. Therefore it is of great importance to foresight the future in order to be able to define the competencies needed in the future working life.

From these perspectives and expectations challenges arise for the curricula, teaching and learning methods, R&D&I activities and developing networked expertise. How should we develop students' competencies and expertise in higher education, and how to define and measure the learning outcomes?

Researchers, developers, leaders, lecturers, students and other representatives of cooperation partners from higher education institutions, private and public sector are warmly welcomed to participate.

University of Limerick

15 April, 2010

Using Positive Psychology in Teaching

Workshop Title

Using Positive Psychology in Teaching

Facilitator

Prof Alan Mortiboys

Date

15th April 2010

Time

13.30 – 16.30

Venue

MC2005, Millstream Courtyard, University of Limerick

To register

Mary.Fitzpatrick@ul.ie

Positive psychology is the ‘scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals and communities to thrive’. This workshop invites participants to explore if and how some concepts from positive psychology might be helpful for learners and teachers in higher education. These include:

Learned optimism and how it can help you deal with setbacks

Strengths based psychology – how to build on your strengths and manage your weaknesses

Flow - a state described as a ‘magnet for learning’

Alan Mortiboys has extensive experience working in education and staff development, both in the UK and abroad. For the past 20 years he has worked in Educational Development in Higher Education. At Birmingham City University he is Professor of Educational Development and also leader of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education programme for academic staff. In addition he works independently providing staff and educational development for professionals in education, healthcare and other public sectors. Alan is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His publications include Teaching with Emotional Intelligence (Routledge 2005).

University of Limerick

15 April, 2010

Developing Student Motivation through Feedback

Workshop Title

Developing Student Motivation through Feedback

Facilitator

Prof Alan Mortiboys

Date

15th April 2010

Time

09.30 – 12.30

Venue

MC2005, Millstream Courtyard, University of Limerick

To register

Mary.Fitzpatrick@ul.ie

Whenever a student receives feedback on their progress or on their completed assessment tasks that feedback has the potential to have an impact on the student’s motivation. This impact can depend on factors such as the timing, the content and even the tone of feedback. This session explores the alternative ways in which feedback can be given to students and invites participants to critically review their current practice in this area.

This session provides participants with the opportunity to:

Review the likely impact on student motivation of their current approach to giving feedback

Plan to adapt their practice of giving feedback in order to improve student motivation

This is a two-day interactive workshop that introduces the participants to the fundamentals of Problem Based Learning (PBL). It draws on the experiences of practitioners from a range of disciplines and follows their experiences while developing PBL programmes in Higher Level Institutions. It allows the participants to experience what it is like being a member of a PBL team/tutorial working on a PBL trigger. Finally an international educational expert will give an overview of the state-of-the-art educational practices at leading American Universities with particular emphasis on PBL.

University of Dublin, Trinity College

14 April, 2010

NDLR Fest 2010: Showcase of National digital learning resources

We would like to invite you to attend the Annual NDLR Fest 2010 that will be held in the Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin on Wednesday April 14th 2010.

This event will be a national showcase of a wide array of digital teaching and learning resources that have been developed across all subject disciplines and Higher Education Institutions in Ireland. The event will be attended by individual academics, groups of academics who have been working collaboratively through various NDLR initiatives and key stakeholders in the Irish HE sector.

At this year's event, staff from NDLR partners will gather to

Present, exhibit and share learning resources (LRs)

Forge new links for developing innovations in teaching and learning

Exchange know-how and exemplars of sharing and collaboration across subject disciplines and institutions

Demonstrate impact and use of LRs across subject disciplines in student programmes

The showcase will reflect an evolutionary pathway for supporting NDLR Users, as well as demonstrating the new NDLR platform, portal and NDLR services in action. A call for National funding for Learning Innovation Community Support Projects (LINCs) will also be announced in the coming weeks. There will be an information session about this call for funding at the event.

Further information and registration details on the NDLR Fest 2010 are available on our website http://www.ndlr.ie. Please email info@ndlr.ie with any queries you may have.

We would really appreciate if you could forward this email to colleagues who may be interested in attending. Looking forward to seeing you there!

NDLR Team info@ndlr.ie

National College of Art & Design

13 April, 2010

Inter-changes: Craft and Context Symposium and Exhibitions

On the 13th and 14th April, a symposium and two exhibition openings will be held in Dublin, entitled Inter-changes: Craft and Context, hosted by NCAD, the Crafts Council of Ireland, and the Fulbright Commission.

The formation of a critical context for craft is the subject of a rich international debate within which, over the last ten years, many disciplines have found a voice. Irish makers, as they understand and articulate their practice through the new and evolving language of craft, have begun to take their place among this intellectual community.

The "Interchanges: Craft and Context" Symposium takes place in NCAD, April 13-14. This public event is sure to be a stimulating and engaging experience that will provoke ongoing conversations about the critical and theoretical context of craft. The programme of this unique symposium will enable contemporary craft makers to build alliances to sustain creativity, create new avenues of interest and help ensure future development of this sector.

Symposium Keynote presentations will be made by Glenn Adamson - Head of Graduate Studies in the Research Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Arline Fisch, who has played a central role in the revitalization of jewellery as a contemporary art form and was Professor of Art (Emerita) - San Diego State University from 1961 – 2000.

The programme is sponsored by the Crafts Council of Ireland, Fulbright Commission, Mason, Hayes & Curran and the National College of Art and Design and is co-directed by Louise Allen, Education & Awareness Manager, CCoI, Colleen Dube, Executive Director, Fulbright, Caroline Madden, Glass Lecturer, NCAD and Mary B. White, US Fulbright Scholar.

EXHIBITION- Inter-changes: Craft and Context Runing from April 14th to May 4th 2010, this exhibition will be open to the public 4 - 6 pm: 14th, 15th, 20th, 27th April and 4th May 2010. To arrange to see the exhibition outside of these hours please contact Colleen Dube.

Engaging Undergraduate Students in Book Research

This is a one-day conference with poster presentations by undergrduates in the School of English, UCC, who have participated in this Ionad Bairre/NAIRTL funded scheme. We also have several postgraduate speakers, a staff panel, and a keynote lecture delivered by Dr Peter McDonald, St Hugh's College Oxford. Information and programme from: carrie.griffin@ucc.ie

University of Limerick

26 March, 2010

PBL Day in UL

The NDLR CSCoP in association with the UL Centre for Teaching and Learning are hosting a PBL Day in Limerick. This is an opportunity to hear how others accross a variety of disciplines are applying PBL techniques to their teaching as well as discuss opportunities for the advancement of PBL. This is a free event and we welcome attendance from around the country. For those unfamiliar with the UL campus, the venue is located in building reference 28 on the campus map and parking places are available on request. To register please email aisling.dundon@ul.ie.

Political Reform in Ireland

This one day conference will mark the launch of the Department of Government's undergraduate journal, Government and Politics Review. The 2010 theme for the journal is political reform and the conference will provide a public forum for students, academics and politicians to communicate their research on the them. A poster exhibition will accompany the conference. The journal launch will be conducted by Minister for Froeign Affairs, Micheal Martin. All are welcome and there is no admission charge.

| Other

25 March, 2010

ESAI Annual Conference 2010

The 35th annual conference of the Educational Studies Association of Ireland will take place in Dundalk from March 25-27.

In keeping with ESAI’s mission of fostering research within and across education sectors, this year’s theme focuses on how boundaries and identities present challenges for all sectors of education (pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, adult and further education etc). With its broad theme, we hope that the conference can bring together educational professionals from a range of sectors and roles (ie. researchers, policymakers, teachers, leaders…etc.) from North and South in Ireland to discuss these important educational questions.

The digitised version of the Irish Educational Documents Volumes I-III will be launched at the conference on the evening of the 25th. This publication was sponsored by SCoTENS, the Standing Committee on Teacher Education North and South and CDs can be ordered from the National Academy website at www.nairtl.ie/Resources

| Other

16 March, 2010

Launch: Heal-Train Research Training Programme

This launch will showcase the material developed through HEAL-TRAIN (a commercial training package in research methods developed for health professionals) along with interactive demonstrations of the supporting e-learning platform. It promises to be a dazzling event where the project partners along with some of the HEAL-TRAIN products’ users will be able to introduce and share their experience on the project’s work. In addition, all participants will have the opportunity to use and familiarise themselves with the platform and materials, through the dedicated desks that will be available within the conference room.

The event will take place from 9.30 - 5.00. Registration is free, and refreshments and a full lunch are included.

HEAL - TRAIN is a funded EU project which, over the past 2 years, has developed a Vocational Education Training (VET) programme for professional researchers (e.g., market research agencies, private and public health- and food-related research institutes) whose research assesses the needs of consumers with specific medical conditions, such as cardiac disease and diabetes for innovative new food products and services for purchase.

The programme consists of training seminars in research methods, ethics, and guidelines for research practice, and is supported through an e-learning platform which contains accessible teaching material, assessment facilities, discussion fora, and online tutoring support. A training kit is also provided for tutors.

Applications of the Programme:

The training package would be of great benefit to professionals working in market and consumer research, and in the health sector, who are interested in improving their research skills. Regular courses will be held across the country.

Experienced tutors are available to provide day-long training sessions to interested company employees.

There are also opportunities for training companies to purchase the training package for their own commercial use.

Full registration and accommodation details, along with the draft programme can be found at www.healtrain.eu

Please note: Deadline for registration is Thursday 11th March 2010. Looking forward to seeing you there, The HEAL-TRAIN Team.

| Other

15 March, 2010

Undergraduate Awards of Ireland & Northern Ireland

The Undergraduate Awards of Ireland was established on 20th October 2008 to recognise and reward Ireland's most innovative young knowledge creators, to catalyse the development of the brightest undergraduates, and to inspire all undergraduates to achieve. The awards are open to undergraduates across the island of Ireland’s nine Universities. Submissions are drawn from the outstanding papers, papers and dissertations produced as a normal part of course work during each academic year. Our values of impartiality, inclusiveness and active facilitation guide our operations and strategic direction.The initiative aims to enhance Ireland's prospects of becoming a leading global knowledge economy by creating an entirely new and unique set of incentives and rewards for undergraduates, through academic and corporate recognition, monetary bursaries and internship and employment opportunities.

University College Cork

12 March, 2010

The 'IR Model': A Schema for Pedagogic Design and Development in International Relations Distance Learning (DL) Programmes

The VP for Teaching and Learning & Ionad Bairre, UCC's Teaching and Learning Centre, invite you toa lunchtime lecture on March 12th on:The ‘IR Model’: A Schema for Pedagogic Design and Development in International Relations Distance Learning (DL) Programmes

Speaker: Dr J. Simon Rofe, Director of Distance Learning and Lecturer in International Relations, University of Leicester.Where: NW Council Room, UCCWhen: Friday 12th March at 1pm

Dr Rofe will be speaking on the strategy employed by the University of Leicester in developing and deploying a suite of Distance Learning (DL) programmes and the pedagogic context in which they were conceived. These programmes have effectively integrated a variety of innovative teaching and learning practices, supported where relevant by appropriate learning technologies, into the experience of student learning in International Relations (IR).

FACiliTATE: Applying Technologies in the Context of Problem-Based Learning

This workshop will explore the scope and application of technology within problem-based learning, particularly for the application of analytical, creative and critical thinking skills, (as well as for research, production of materials, presentations and collaboration). It will provide an introduction to those who have begun or are considering integrating technology to assist their problem-based learning practices. It is suitable for lecturers and academic support staff such as educational developers, curriculum developers and teaching assistants involved in supporting problem-based learning initiatives.

Cost: Early bird registration €50 until February 12th, 2010. €75 to close of registration on February, 26th, 2010.

NB Places are limited to 45 so early booking advisable.

For further details contact Deirdre Connolly at 01 896-3216 or email deirdre.connolly@tcd.ie.

University College Cork

4 March, 2010

New Initiatives to Enhance Assessment and Feedback Practices

Presented by Dr Anne Crook and Dr Julian Parkes, Centre for the Development of Teaching and Learning, University of Reading, UK.

Anne and Julian will outline the current challenges of assessment and feedback for staff and students, and showcase two new resources developed at the University of Reading.

They say “Designing effective assessments and ensuring students receive quality feedback in a timely manner often present a considerable challenge to staff in terms of both time and resource. In the UK the National Student Survey data have consistently revealed the area of assessment and feedback to be one of the lowest scoring categories with students expressing particular dissatisfaction with the quality and timeliness of feed back on their work. As a result, many institutions are investing in different ways to tackle this issue. This presentation will discuss some of the ideas and initiatives currently being piloted at the University of Reading; these include the use of video media for feedback provision and the development of new, interactive feedback and assessment resources for staff.”

Arts Research: Publics and Purposes

The conference addresses the state of development of contemporary research in and through cultural practice. It makes particular reference to questions of the public interest, and of the broad purposes, that arts research may serve.

This five day major international programme of discussion, exchange and presentation builds upon the hugely successful ‘Art Research: The State of Play’ that took place previously in Dublin in 2008.

This conference will be of interest for anyone concerned with the current state of development in contemporary arts research. It will be of special interest to anyone concerned with the relationship between the development of creative research and the possibility of public culture - and indeed questions as to what 'public(s)' might now be possible in the contemporary world.

At the heart of this timely international exchange of perspectives are the questions:

what are the emerging priorities within the various fields of arts research?

for whom is this research being developed?

what motivates art researchers both in general and with respect to specific research projects?

In simple terms, this conference opens a dialogue among arts researchers, practitioners, critics, curators, performers and educators in order to ask: 'who for? what for?'

This unique event comprises a week-long series of symposia, workshops, presentations, performances and exhibitions in Dublin for the week 15-19 February 2010. Participants and contributors are invited to join us for the entire week or to select those elements in our programme that are most relevant to their interests.

Computers in Education Society of Ireland's Annual Conference

CESI National Conference 2010

Creative Technology in Challenging Times”12th and 13th February 2010

At the 2010 Computers in Education Society of Ireland’s (CESI) Annual Conference, we plan to highlight the varied and creative ways teachers are using ICT to enhance teaching and learning at primary and post primary level. In that spirit, the theme for this year’s conference is “Creative Technology in Challenging Times”. Attendance at the conference is open to all teachers whether experienced or not in the use of ICT.

CESI welcomes presentersfor the conference from primary, post primary and third level education. Presentations should be 30 minutes in length. Workshops should be 60 minutes in length. A full list of last year’s presentations and workshops can be viewed at www.cesi.ie/conference.

If you are interested in presenting at the conference, please email your proposal consisting of the following:

Presentation or workshop title

A brief description of the presentation / workshop, including target audience

Any special equipment that might be needed for the presentation / workshop

Complete contact information

Brief biography

University College Cork

29 January, 2010

Critical Social Thinking Conference

This inaugural Critical Social Thinking Student Conference aims to showcase undergraduate and postgraduate research in the School of Applied Social Studies. In the current climate where economic policy dominates to the detriment of social considerations, this conference aims to foreground social issues in ways which are currently absent from political and media debate. Conference themes will address contemporary social issues within the three main School fields of Social Policy, Social Work and Youth and Community Work. We hope that these papers will motivate and stimulate undergraduate and postgraduate research interest in the social sciences. This conference is part-funded by NAIRTL for ‘Engaging Undergraduate Students in Research’ and extends the promotion of student research through the Critical Social Thinking Student Journal initiative.

Please find the conference programme attached (pdf) This conference is open to all including any interested undergraduate or postgraduate students.

Image Gallery

The third conference organised by the Centre for Excellence in Preparing for Academic Practice will be held at St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, from 13 to 15 December 2009. The event will be focused on the development of holistic depictions of academic careers - ones conceptualized as more than teaching and/or research. We have sought a wide range of creative responses to this idea; initial suggestions include academic practice as career development, mentoring, academic climate, relationships between academic work and wider life, academic writing and discourse, and emotions or affect in academic work.

NAIRTL

18 November, 2009

National Awards for Excellence in Teaching

President McAleese honours outstanding teachers at National Awards ceremony

Dublin Castle hosted the National Excellence in Teaching Awards where the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, presented five Awards on behalf of the National Academy for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. To read the President's speech click here.

This is the first year that all 38 Higher Education Institutions were invited to participate in the awards programme. More than one hundred guests attended the ceremony on 18th November including Higher Education Authority representatives, senior management of many higher education institutes as well as family and friends of the award winners.

Winners of the five Awards were nominated by senior managers within their institutions and selected by a committee which included international representatives as well as representatives of the Irish University Association, the Institutes of Technology Ireland and the Union of Students in Ireland.

Awards were presented to Helena Lenihan, University of Limerick; Aisling McCluskey, NUI Galway; Amanda Gibney, University College Dublin; Susan Bergin NUI, Maynooth; and a team from the Dublin Institute of Technology - Michael Seery, Claire McDonnell, Christine O’Connor and Sarah Rawe. Bettie Higgs and Marian McCarthy from University College Cork received a Special Commendation.

Dr Helena Lenihan, Department of Economics, Kemmy Business School, University of LimerickDr Helena Lenihan is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick (UL). She teaches Microeconomics, Small Business Economics and Industrial/Enterprise Policy. She is twice winner of the UL ‘Excellence in Teaching Award'. Dr Lenihan has held visiting appointments at the University of Warwick and was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Cambridge. She has published extensively in the areas of Business Economics and Enterprise/Industrial Policy and Evaluation. Dr Lenihan has been invited to present research papers at conferences in countries such as Ireland, UK, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Macedonia and Poland.

Dr Aisling McCluskey, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Maths, National University of Ireland, GalwayDr. Aisling McCluskey has long held a deep-seated interest in the teaching and learning of mathematics. She has been teaching—and learning—since appointment at NUI Galway in 1992 and her fervent desire to promote critical and independent mathematical thinking with attendant deep understanding continues unabated. Her ongoing pursuit of traditional research in pure mathematics has played an integral role in deepening that interest and crucially in informing her reflection on practice. Her passion for mathematics has provided significant rationale and stimulus for the direction and diversification of her scholarly interest in and contribution to mathematics education in Ireland.

Dr Amanda Gibney, School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering, University College DublinFollowing her undergraduate degree, at UCD, Amanda took up employment as a structural design engineer in London where she worked with Arup and subsequently Skidmore Owings & Merrill. In London Amanda had the great fortune to work on projects such as the Lloyds Headquarters, Lords Cricket Ground, the Grand Louvre, Hong Kong Park Aviary, Bari Football Stadium and Canary Wharf, also undertaking a part-time MSc at City University. Amanda returned to work in Dublin before subsequently returning to academia, joining UCD as a College Lecturer. Amanda is keenly interested in encouraging student creativity and innovation through integrated active learning opportunities across the curriculum, developing lifelong learning skills. Amanda is also very interested and involved in the development of design and testing of road pavement materials, an area in which she completed her PhD studies.

Team Award, Dublin Institute of TechnologyThe Chemical Education Research Team (CERT) was established in 2005 in the School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, DIT. Its members are Claire Mc Donnell, Christine O’Connor, Sarah Rawe and Michael Seery. They have each obtained qualifications from the Learning, Teaching and Technology Centre, DIT and share an interest in incorporating best practices in education research into their day-to-day teaching. This has involved integrating best principles of laboratory teaching, community based learning, supporting learning with virtual learning environments and using e-learning to enhance the in-class experience. The team have obtained several grants, presented at many national and international conferences and published a number of articles and book chapters. (For further information, see www.dit.ie/chempharm-cert).

Dr Claire McDonnell lectures in organic chemistry at DIT. She completed her PhD in physical organic chemistry at UCD and worked in the pharmaceutical sector before joining DIT. Her research interests include synthesis and mechanistic studies on chiral building blocks and she currently supervises one postgraduate student. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Third Level Teaching and Learning and is interested in strategies to support the learning of undergraduate chemistry students, including eLearning methods, project-based learning and community learning. She has several educational research publications, has presented at many national and international conferences and received a ‘DIT President’s Commendation for Excellence in Teaching’ (2005) and an RSC Higher Education Teaching Award (2009).

Dr Christine O’Connor lectures in physical and inorganic chemistry at DIT. She completed her PhD in inorganic synthesis and photophysical characterisation in DCU. While lecturing at DIT, she graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate in Third Level Teaching and Learning and was awarded the ‘DIT President’s Commendation for Excellence in Teaching’ (2005). Her research interest is synthesis of therapeutic compounds and she currently has two postgraduate students. Her pedagogic interests include catering for learning diversity in curriculum design, innovative methods for teaching in laboratories and the development of virtual learning environments to support chemistry learning. She has written and presented several papers on these topics nationally and internationally and led two successful proposals to develop project-based learning laboratories.

Dr Sarah Rawe completed her PhD at the University of Liverpool on the synthesis and biological evaluation of novel endoperoxide-containing antimalarials. She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology in UCD investigating carbohydrate-derived inhibitors of angiogenesis before being appointed to her current position as a lecturer in organic and medicinal chemistry at DIT. She currently supervises five postgraduate students with projects in the areas of antimicrobial glycoconjugates and anticancer hybrid drugs. Her pedagogic interests are the integration of research and embedding of research skills in undergraduate education.

Dr Michael Seery lectures in physical chemistry. Pedagogic interests include innovative methods for teaching in laboratories and the development of online resources to support chemistry teaching at all levels. The former has involved development of problem-based learning style laboratory practicals. He is currently developing an open access resource, photochemistry.wordpress.com, which aims to link fundamental theory in photochemistry with applied research, with special consideration of Irish research. He has completed his MA in Third Level Teaching and Learning and was awarded a Faculty Teaching Award in 2009. He has an active research interest in the area of semi-conductor photocatalysis, with four postgraduate students working in this field.

Dr Susan Bergin, National University of Ireland, MaynoothDr Susan Bergin is a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, NUI Maynooth. She is a member of the SFI-funded Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain Research and the Institute of Microelectronic Wireless System. Dr. Bergin pursues a holistic, student-centered approach to teaching Computer Science (CS) motivated largely by her continuing research in CS Education. She is deeply committed to teaching the subject effectively, to inspiring research interest in the area, and to fostering the overall intellectual and personal development of her students. Her approach involves, inter alia, building student confidence and self-esteem through collaborative tutoring and peer review, inspiring interest with innovative learning tools and real-world projects, and nurturing her students’ personal development through collaborative work and community interaction.

Special Team Commendation, University College CorkDr Bettie Higgs is a lecturer in the Department of Geology. Her areas of interest include plate tectonics and the use of geophysics to investigate the subsurface. Bettie is Academic Co-ordinate of Ionad Bairre, the centre for teaching and learning in University College Cork. She is interested in the nature of learning, and the public understanding of science. Since 2002 she has also coordinated activities designed to support staff in their teaching and learning role. She was a 2005 Carnegie Scholar, at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and completed an MA in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in 2007. She is also an associate lecturer for the Open University, and she tutors geology to students in the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education, UCC.

Marian McCarthy was seconded full time from her post as lecturer in the Education Department, University College Cork to work in Ionad Bairre, which she co-founded in 2006. Marian has been teaching since 1977, having worked at second level for many years. She is co-ordinator of the Certificate, Diploma and Masters in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Marian’s doctoral research is in the area of Teaching for Understanding and of approaches that facilitate the development of a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning within the university. She is particularly interested in the synergies between the work of Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with its focus on the student-centred approaches of Multiple Intelligences and Teaching for Understanding, and those of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, with its focus on teaching as an integral part of scholarship and research.

Image Gallery

Click on an image to view a larger version.

University of Dublin, Trinity College

11 November, 2009

NAIRTL 3rd Annual Conference

The theme of this year's conference is “Research-Teaching Linkages: Practice & Policy” and we aim to uncover best practice in the development of research-teaching links and to identify potential policy supports to help shape these links.

The programme will feature keynote talks, invited papers, a panel discussion, workshops, and a poster session. Registration for the conference is free. Download conference programme.

Confirmed speakers:

Dr Anne Lee, Academic Development Adviser, Centre for Learning Development, University of Surrey. "Developments in postgraduate education and their implications for research supervision".

Professor Carolin Kreber, Professor of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, and Director of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Assessment, University of Edinburgh. "Enhancing the student experience through the scholarship of teaching and learning?"

Mr Bradley Wuetherick is the Manager of Undergraduate Student Services in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Alberta University, Canada."Moving Forward with Research-Enhanced Teaching and Learning: Undergraduate Student and Academic Staff Perceptions of Research in the Undergraduate Learning Environment".

*The Graduate Education theme of the NAIRTL conference will coincide with the second day of the IUA 4th Level Network conference "The Evolving Landscape of Irish Graduate Education" and features joint sessions between the two conferences under this theme.

Conference Dinner: The conference dinner will be held in the Old Jameson Distillery in Smithfield and will include a guided tour of the Distillery. The meal will be followed by an evening of entertainment with the Jameson Players and the Claddagh Dancers. The cost for the dinner is €60.

Getting there: Full directions on how to reach the University by train, plane and automobile are available here.

Venue: The Hamilton Building is located towards the far end of the college close to the intersection of Westland row and Pearse Street. The easiest access point is to walk along Pearse street and take the tunnel after the Science Gallery. Map of the campus

External

22 October, 2009

ISSOTL 2009: Solid Foundations, Emerging Knowledge, Shared Futures

The International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce that its sixth annual conference on October 22-25 2009 will be held on the beautifully scenic, academically renowned and culturally rich Bloomington campus of Indiana University. The theme of "Solid Foundations, Emerging Knowledge, Shared Futures" invites scholars of teaching and learning from around the world to share their evidence-based insights and theoretical frameworks for how to teach today's students to be tomorrow's most prepared citizens.

The International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (ISSOTL) serves faculty members, staff, and students who care about teaching and learning as serious intellectual work. The goal of the Society is to foster inquiry and disseminate findings about what improves and articulates post-secondary learning and teaching. ISSOTL is organized to

Recognize and encourage scholarly work on teaching and prolearning in each discipline, within other scholarly societies, and across educational levels

Promote cross-disciplinary conversation to create synergy and prompt new lines of inquiry

Facilitate the collaboration of scholars in different countries and the flow of new findings and applications across national boundaries

Encourage the integration of discovery, learning and public engagement

Advocate for support, review, recognition, and appropriate uses of the scholarship of teaching and learning.

External

15 October, 2009

LIN 2nd Annual Conference

The Learning Innovation Network is pleased to announce its secondannual LIN conference, being held on Thursday, October 15th, in theSheraton Hotel, Athlone.

The theme for LIN 2009 is ‘Motivating Learners through CreativeApproaches to Assessment’.

LIN is pleased to welcome Professor John Biggs as our main keynotespeaker. Professor Biggs developed the SOLO taxonomy for assessing thequality of learning outcomes, and also developed the model ofconstructive alignment for designing teaching and assessment.

As the key feature of LIN 2009 is the provision of assessment strategiesand tools that can be immediately shared and implemented by participantsin their own teaching practice, LIN 2009 will have the following themes;

The call for abstracts is now open until Monday May 18th.For more information on the conference themes, please go to :http://www.lin-ireland.com/index.php?title=LIN_Conference

External

15 October, 2009

The Seventh Open Classroom Conference

Openness and flexibility will characterise both the content and format of the Porto Open Classroom Conference: inspiring keynote presentations will be followed by moderated discussions, exhibition and presentation of innovative tools and methods will be intertwined with hands-on exploration of their potentials by participants.

The Porto Open Classroom Conference will explore:

how schools cope with the potential of collaborative knowledge building;

what is the essence of learner control (empowerment of the learner) for different age groups, disciplines and learning environments;

how do new learning solutions (open content, open source software, social networking) are introducing innovative experiences and facilitate learning as a creative process;

what key competences are needed to be an active lifelong learner in the 21st century multicultural society;

what is the emerging role of the school-teacher in the European School 2.0.

External

1 October, 2009

3rd National Conference on Education: Guwahati, India

A conference for school principals of India took place in Guwahati, India in early October. The conference ran from Thursday, 1st to Saturday, October 3rd with three keynote speakers from Ireland being sponsored to attend by Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd.

Jennifer Murphy, Project Manager of the National Academy for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL), was invited to address the conference delegates. This conference was a wonderful opportunity for the National Academy to further their collaborative work and is testament to the impact to date of this initiative nationally and internationally. See presentation here.

Pauric O'Grady who is recently retired from the position of Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson Medical - Ireland, delivered a keynote address at the conference. Pauric is actively involved as a board member with a number of community projects and initiatives and is currently Chairman of the Steering Committee for BITCI's (Business in the Community Ireland) Schools' Business Partnership initiative. See presentation here.

The third sponsored speaker, Mr Reg Chapman, an educational consultant since 2004, has worked in education since 1970. He was principal of one of the largest colleges in England, Blackpool and the Fylde College, which has a reputation for combining excellence with equality and inclusiveness. In 2000 Mr. Chapman was awarded an OBE for Services to Further Education by the Queen. See presentation here.

Cornmarket are sponsors of the Global Schoolroom initiative which is dedicated to sharing educational experience between communities worldwide to help eradicate poverty, promote economic development and support sustainable communities.

Image Gallery

Click on an image to view a larger version.

University College Cork

30 September, 2009

Bologna Symposium - Integrating generic competences in the curriculum

Location: Aula Max, University College Cork.Date: September 30th.

Opened by Minister for Lifelong Learning, Deputy Seán Haughey, the Bologna Symposium "Integrating generic competences in the curriculum" focussed on examining national and international examples of how generic competences could be integrated, taught and assessed in Higher Education Institutes in Ireland. The proceedings of NAIRTL’s 4th Bologna Symposium will contribute to the formation of a more robust definition of generic competences suitable to the Irish Higher Education sector.

Image Gallery

ECER 2009: Theory and Evidence in European Educational Research

Private and public enterprises, national and international agencies provide a wealth of data and information about education systems and processes unknown to previous generations.

Concepts like “evidence-based policy making”, “quality assurance”, “data-driven decision making”, and “evidence-based teaching” have played an important part in this development. The rapid spread of national and international testing systems is another sign of the ongoing transformation of the field.

At the same time there are numerous reports from different European countries that resources for independent university-based educational research have been declining, and that the opportunities for unsolicited, critical research have worsened.

The decline appears to have particularly affected those areas long considered to be the corner-stones of the discipline -- educational philosophy, history, general didactics, and other foundational subjects.

However, the changing environment is only one part of the story: There are good reasons to ask if those parts of the discipline which have dominated the field in the past did enough to provide the kind of information professionals, the public, politics, and society as a whole needed. But, likewise, we can ask if all the new data really produces ”evidence”,

if there is a fundamental gap between the empirical wealth we have and the quality of the theoretical and methodological groundwork that underlies much of it. In other words, the rapid transformation of educational research provokes fundamental questions about the interplay between theory and research, data and evidence, and, not least, about the identity and coherence of educational research.

External

2 September, 2009

12th Annual Conference of the Irish Academy of Management

The 12th Annual Conference of the Irish Academy of Management will be held at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology between the 2nd and the 4th of September 2009.

There will be presentations by two NAIRTL award holders:

Daniel Blackshields of the Department of Economics, UCC, will present his paper "The Game is Afoot: The Pedagogical Case of Teaching for Understanding, Sherlock Holmes and Scientific Problem-solving in Economics" at the conference.

Dr Margaret Healy of the Department of Accounting and Finance, UCC, will present a paper "The potential for using technology to enhance the student learning experience)". Authors include: Margaret Healy, Maeve McCutchheon, Claire O'Sullivan-Rochford and Michelle Carr.

External

27 August, 2009

QUB: Living Knowledge Conference 2009

This 4th Living Knowledge Conference marks the tenth anniversary of the Living Knowledge Network Science Shops. Over time, this network has grown to include a diverse range of community-based researchers, practitioners, international and non-government organisations from across Europe, Canada and North America and has growing membership from the Asia-Pacific region. The 4th Living Knowledge Conference is organised by the Programme Committee who have extensive experience in the area of Science Shops and community based research. It will build on the work of previous conferences in Leuven, Seville and Paris.

The conference is hosted by The Science Shop at Queen’s University Belfast. Queen’s is a founding member of the International Science Shop Network.

Aims

To influence international research policies and establish priorities for community based research

To critically reflect on partnership working

To examine current practice and future developments in Science Shops

Themes

Engaging students in community based research

Planning for demographic change

Science Shops, sustainable development and climate change

Knowledge exchange, transfer or exploitation?

Sustaining CBR practice through arts and cultural forms

Critical reflections on community engagement in the natural sciences, technology and innovation

Outcomes

Influencing international research policies and priorities

Bringing Science Shops to the policy agenda in UK and ROI

Evaluating strategies for embedding community engaged research in universities

Offering examples of practice and training for new and emerging Science Shops

Providing opportunities to discuss future collaborations

Securing the future of the Living Knowledge Network

National University of Ireland, Galway

10 July, 2009

Workshop on Learning and Assessment Practices in Economics

Call for Abstracts - Deadline June 15th 2009

One day workshop on Learning and Assessment Practices in Economics

We invite people researching in this area to submit abstracts or full papers for consideration for inclusion in the programme.

The workshop will feature the results of research being conducted in the Department of Economics at NUI Galway that compares computer-based assignments with traditional paper based assignments. The research at NUI Galway also analyses the learning strategies that students choose to prepare for examinations. The conference organizers are particularly interested in submissions in related areas. Priority will be given to empirical papers and both qualitative and quantitative methodologies are welcome.

The deadline for submission is June 15th. Please email abstracts or full papers to Brendan Kennelly at NUI Galway (brendan.kennelly@nuigalway.ie).

The workshop is being funded by a grant from the National Academy for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning (NAIRTL)

University of Dublin, Trinity College

8 July, 2009

Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Parents, Teachers, Young People and Other Professionals (DVD Launch)

On behalf of the School of Education in Trinity College, and in partnership with Aspire - the Asperger Syndrome Association of Ireland, this event will feature the launch of a two hour educational DVD on Asperger Syndrome.

The title of the DVD is 'Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Parents, Young People, Teachers and Other Professionals', and it will be launched by the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe, TD and the Provost of Trinity College, Dr. John Hegarty.

The Department of Education and Science and the Special Education Support Service is supporting the initiative by distributing a copy of the DVD to schools across the country. Copies of the DVD will be available at the launch.

Please RSVP your attendance to Shane O’Halloran at development@aspire-irl.org by Friday the 3rd July, stating any special requirements needed.

The Londonmet Learning and Teaching Conference, organised by CAPD, has established itself as an annual event and, more importantly, one which staff anticipate with both pleasure and a stream of contributions.

This, the sixth conference in the series, continues the opportunity for active debate, discussion and reflection across the University around learning and teaching issues.

In this year's Conference the emphasis is how we can use blended learning to invoke "the traditional values of higher education while meeting the demands and needs of the 21st Century"*. As always, this Conference is underpinned by the identification and broadcasting of our own good and noteworthy practice, wherever it occurs within the University.

The 2009 Conference outcomes will be:

A Conference Report summarising issues and contributions to the debate

By agreement, publication of appropriate papers/presentations in "Investigations in University Teaching and Learning" [ISSN 1740-5106] (the University's journal for academic development).

A Conference Website with links to the Conference content.

University College Cork

27 June, 2009

Crime Genre Conference

Con(tra)vention: Crime and the Boundaries of Genre The third Interdisciplinary Conference of the Atlantic Alliance of Universities Crime Genre Research Group, which will be held at University College Cork, 26-27 June 2009.

NAIRTL grant winner, Daniel Blackshields from the Economics Department, UCC, will give a paper entitled "The Game Is Afoot!’: Sherlock Holmes And The Investigative Narrative In Economics".

DIT eLearning Summer School 2009

Interested in eLearning? Interested in strategies which will help you and your staff to make the most of current thinking and technologies? Then consider attending the 7th DIT eLearning Summer School, running this year from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th June in DIT Aungier Street.

The focus this year is “Get Flexible: Moving to an Online Environment” and it's expected that participants will complete the week with the basic elements of an online module in place.

Booking is available at http://ltt.dit.ie/lttc/forms/form_registration_training.html or call 4027866 for further information. A charge of 395euros applies for non-DIT staff.

Important! This year's Summer School is primarily lab-based and so numbers are strictly limited to 25. Please book now to ensure your place!

University College Cork

15 June, 2009

Workshop on Curriculum Development

Integrating program-level learning outcomes and institutional teaching development plans: the scholarship of curriculum and pedagogical practice in higher education

Visiting scholar Professor Harry Hubball from the University of British Columbia, Canada, will deliver a Workshop on Curriculum Development

June 15th 12.30pm – 2.30pmSeminar Room, Boole Library A light lunch will be available from 12.15pm

Harry is a winner of the prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship in Canada. His research and practice focus on educational development and the scholarship of curriculum and pedagogical practice in higher education.

There is growing recognition of the complexity of academic work and the need for scholarly approaches to curricula and pedagogical practices in higher education. Many universities in North America, Australia, UK and Europe, for example, have recently developed learning-centred curricula that focus on explicit student learning outcomes and assessment practices. However, linking student learning and achievement with properly aligned teaching development plans within institutions, however, is critical for successful implementation.

This seminar/workshop examines the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in higher education by highlighting successful case study examples from Universities in the Provinces of Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. Data suggest that context-specific and integrated frameworks for implementing program-level learning outcomes and teaching development initiatives is critical to enhancing student learning in university settings. Guiding principles and educational development strategies will be provided, informed by critical lessons learned in various university contexts.

Harry coordinates the Multi-national Teaching Fellows (MNTF) and Institutional Teaching Award (ITA) Winners Research Group on behalf of the International Society for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL). This workshop will touch upon collaborative research opportunities with colleagues from around the world, and diverse methodological approaches and considerations for conducting the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).

“Integrating program-level learning outcomes and institutional teaching development plans - the scholarship of curriculum and pedagogical practice in higher education"

A seminar and workshop presented by Prof. Harry Hubball, University of British Columbia, Canada

Harry is a winner of the prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship in Canada. His research and practice focus on educational development and the scholarship of curriculum and pedagogical practice in higher education.

There is growing recognition of the complexity of academic work and the need for scholarly approaches to curricula and pedagogical practices in higher education.

This seminar/workshop examines the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in higher education by highlighting successful case study examples from Universities in the Provinces of Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. Data suggest that context-specific and integrated frameworks for implementing program-level learning outcomes and teaching development initiatives is critical to enhancing student learning in university settings. Guiding principles and educational development strategies will be provided, informed by critical lessons learned in various university contexts.

Harry coordinates the Multi-national Teaching Fellows (MNTF) and Institutional Teaching Award (ITA) Winners Research Group on behalf of the International Society for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL). This workshop will touch upon collaborative research opportunities with colleagues from around the world, and diverse methodological approaches and considerations for conducting the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL).

Design for Learning: Curriculum & Assessment in Higher Education

Thanks to all who expressed an interest in the NAIRTL workshops. We have posted some of the workshop presentations below and invite you to visit the NAIRTL forum to post your comments on or contribute to a discussion about Graduate Competences.

The 7th Annual Symposium on Higher Education by the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, NUI Galway was held in Galway on the 11th and 12th of June 2009.

Keynote speakers included:

Prof. Kathy Isaacs, University of Pisa (History Dept)

Prof. Liz McDowell, head of the CETL for "Assessment for Learning", University of Northumbria, Newcastle

Dr Janet Parker, Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, Editor in Chief of Arts and Humanities in Higher Education and Executive Editor of Teaching in Higher Education.

Prof. Phil Race, Higher Educational Consultant, Leeds Met University.

The NAIRTL Bologna Working group organised the following workshops at this conference

Workshop 1: Knowledge Transfer – Tuning in to Generic Competences Chaired by Dr Mary Holden, WIT, this session featured presentations from Prof. Paul Ryan (NUI Galway) and Dr Alan Hegarty (UL) of the EU project "Tuning Educational Structures in Europe" who provided examples and case studies on how to embed generic competences in curricula from a European context. This was followed by small group discussions about particular issues and questions, prior to a large group discussion on the summary points.

Workshop 2: Integrating Generic Competences into your Curriculum The second workshop focussed on the question of how generic competences could be embedded in Ireland and was chaired by Dr. Stephen Cassidy (CIT), NAIRTL Working group member. There was a presentation of the results of a national survey of staff and students in the 38 Higher Education Institutes and associated employers on their perceptions of the importance of equipping students with various competences. The audience were then invited to discuss the embedding, teaching and assessing of a particular competence within smaller groups with a final summation and large group discussion to close.

Workshop 3: Building Ireland's Smart Graduate (Stakeholder Perspectives: policy and practice) Featuring short presentations from an industry representative (Paul Scanlon, Nortel Networks), a policy maker (Oliver Mooney, Policy and Planning, HEA) and a student (Hugh Sullivan, Education Officer, Students' Union, TCD), the final workshop gathered a range of opinions on generic competences. This session, chaired by Paul Barry (WIT), NAIRTL Working group member, asked questions such as: What skills do graduates require? Who should prepare students for the workforce? What is the role of Higher Education? What can we do better?

Hearing the Student Voice

Participants will be introduced to current work investigating the student voice in curriculum development; be able to share their own experiences in this area; can contribute relevant work in progress or tools and techniques to the Try it out in 10 minutes! sessions; and will have opportunities to explore the potential of using the student voice in the development of the curriculum within their own contexts.

The day will include:

a presentation outlining issues and outcomes arising from the Hearing the Student Voice project investigating curriculum design and development

a keynote from Sally Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Leeds Metropolitan University

parallel workshops and posters showcasing relevant activities at different institutions throughout the country

interactive opportunities for participants including a try-it-out session over lunch and a plenary discussion session

a student voices panel

University of Dublin, Trinity College

8 May, 2009

Third PALNET Symposium

Peer-Learning: Is it Good Practice?

This event is jointly organised by Trinity College and the University of Limerick. The symposium focuses on the relationships between peer learning, academic practice and the transition to higher education.

External

8 May, 2009

Accounting Onlineâ€™: The Design and Implementation of an on-line learning support mechanism for students studying Accounting and Finance

Developing a Learning Model for Accountable Professional Social Care Practice

Tom O'Connor will present his paper "Towards the Development of a Learning Model that Integrates the Social Structural Causes Of Clients’ Needs to a More Accountable Professional Social Care Practice" at ENSACT in Dubrovnik. The work presented in the paper has been partially supported by a NAIRTL grant.

NAIRTL

25 March, 2009

Robert Mathieu

Director, Centre for the Integration of Research and Teaching and Learning, University of Wisconsin at Madison, USA: Research-Led Teaching Public Lecture Series

Bologna and Staff Development

The Bologna Declaration is a binding commitment to an action programme whose objectives include “the elimination of remaining obstacles to the free mobility of … teachers (as well as researchers and higher education administrators)”. This Symposium invites participants to contribute to the success of the process in particular addressing the objective of Staff Development. A number of themes will be addressed by Keynote speakers including:

The Symposium will include a dedicated session for Poster Presentations. Posters are invited on any topic related to the broad theme of Bologna and Staff Development. Please submit a 300 word abstract as well as an electronic version of your poster to nairtl@ucc.ie by 28th November 2008.

Attendance is free of charge. Coffee and lunch will be served. To facilitate catering arrangements, please register your interest in attending below. All are welcome.

Getting to the Science Gallery - the venue is in a modern building close to the Pearse St DART station. As you come out of the DART, cross the road. Ahead of you is the Naughton Building (sports centre etc.). Turn right and then immediately left so you are walking along Pearse St with the Naughton Building on your left. The Science Gallery is the next building on the left and the conference is being held upstairs in Studios 1 and 2.

Stimulating Mobility for World Class Higher Education

International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI 2008)

Dr Daniel Blackshields will present 'The game is afoot!' - The pedagogical case of teaching for understanding, Sherlock Holmes, and Scientific Problem-Solving in Economics. Dr Blackshield received support for his work through a NAIRTL annual report grant earlier this year.

Debate on Grade Inflation: Improved student grades in higher education are a valid reflection of improvement in teaching and learningProfessor Áine Hyland V Martin O'Grady from the Network for Irish Educational Standards

The conference also includes a wide range of papers, workshops and posters of interest to all teaching and learning professionals, as well as a post-conference field trip – 'Teaching in the field' – along the stunning coastline of County Waterford.

Learning Innovation Network Annual Conference

This first annual LIN conference aims to explore innovations in teaching, learning and assessment, and different pedagogical approaches to enhance the student experience. We now invite papers and poster presentations within the following themes. We also welcome student input and joint student/staff presentations.

INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING AND LEARNINGThis theme explores innovations in teaching and learning which result in an improved student learning experience. Papers are sought that offer insights into innovative teaching methods that foster a rich student learning experience. Papers may explore theoretical aspects of teaching and learning, constructivism, social constructivism, situated learning, problem based learning or the application of technologically enhanced learning.

WORKING WITHIN A MODULAR ENVIRONMENTThis theme will address the impact of modularization from an academic perspective, and a student perspective, e.g. the pedagogical impact of the implementation of modularization on course structure and design, learning outcomes, constructive alignment and student retention.

ASSESSMENT WITHIN A MODULAR ENVIRONMENTThis theme will look at innovative approaches and strategies for assessing programmes, modules, student performance and class materials in classrooms. Papers are sought that offer insights into innovative assessment approaches to improve the student learning experience. Papers may explore formative and summative assessment strategies or evaluate the impact of modularization on assessment.

Session Format:Each theme will be presented in a parallel session. Each presentation is 15 minutes long with five minutes for questions.

Abstract Submission:Paper and poster abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and highlight the key message of the paper/poster. Please submit your abstract using the on-line submission form on the LIN website by 12 MAY 2008.

Successful paper presenters will be asked to submit a short paper of 3,000 to 4,000 words before the conference, for publication in the conference proceedings or electronic journal.

Image Gallery

Click on an image to view a larger version.

Waterford Institute of Technology

22 September, 2008

Everything you wanted to know about Copyright...

Professor Charles Oppenheim has kindly agreed to facilitate a session titled "Everything you wanted to know about COPYRIGHT but were afraid to ask" on the 22nd of September, 2008 in WIT. There will be a strong emphasis on copyright and the Internet.

Professor Charles Oppenheim has been involved in, and published widely on legal issues in information work since the mid 1970s. His particular interest is in Intellectual Property Rights, but is also interested in data protection, Freedom of Information, liability for inaccurate information and defamation issues. Please see below for a more detailed biography.

This half day seminar will provide information relating to copyright and the Internet, and Intellectual Property. The seminar will cover the following topics:

Introduction to copyright and database law

Copyright & the Internet –including explanations of copyright licenses for the Internet

Intellectual Property

Recent and proposed changes to legislation

Obtaining permission to reuse copyright protected information

Technical protection systems

Questions & Answers session

Audience:

This seminar will be of benefit to anyone who is interested in copyright.

Critical Thinking: the Future of Universities

This symposium will bring together key commentators on higher education in order to pose a fundamental question: What is the purpose of the University in the 21st Century? The symposium will include keynote speakers and a series of workshops led by facilitators who are experts in the field. Participants will also be able to engage in discussions in the workshops on specific themes, including civic engagement, globalisation, and the links between research and teaching.

CIRTL STEM Education Scholars Program 2008

NAIRTL Annual Report 2007 Launch

The National Academy's Annual Report 2007 will be launched in the North Wing Council Room, UCC, on 14th May 2008 at 11h 00. Proceedings from the Academy's November Conference 2007 will also be launched at this event.

Image Gallery

Click on an image to view a larger version.

External

8 May, 2008

MITA workshop Kings College London

Margaret Denny from WIT, with colleagues Suzanne Denieffe and Dr John Wells, gave an MITA (multiple intelligence teaching approach) workshop at Kings College London. Margaret's work was supposed by a NAIRTL annual report award.

External

8 May, 2008

Irish Accounting and Finance Association at Athlone IT

Dr Edel Barnes gave a paper on her research including case studies of "Accounting Education and Possibilities for Assessment Innovation at Third Level", in part supported through a NAIRTL annual report award.

NAIRTL

9 November, 2007

International Perspectives on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education